Second Life
by English-illiterate
Summary: The Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi away but messed up and ended up in 'Naruto's body. He thinks it is a new chance given to him by his son and continues to protect his precious people as 'Naruto' while keeping his existance secret.  redid Chap 12-14
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

**A/N: I doubt there will be anyone reading this but this is my first attempt writing fan fiction and my skill at utilising the English language is not exactly up to scratch so please forgive my grammatical and spelling errors and improper use of vocabulary. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did it would be crappy because before watching Naruto I always thought Ninja were Japanese spies. **

He winced as he felt his bones break under the force that his soul mate was exerting on his hand. He reminded himself for what seemed to be the hundredth time that the one crushing his hand was his wife and not the boogieman.

"Just a little more" he said through the haze of pain.

"I HATE YOU! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GET ME PREGNANT IN THE FIRST PLACE HUH? YOU TRY AND PUSH!" the lady on the bed had long fiery red hair and a heart shaped face. Her body was toned yet shapely and slim. But for now her beautiful features were marred by the look of fury and pain that contorted her face.

"But honey, having a baby was your idea remember?" the man beside her protested, wincing as she added more pressure on his already crushed hand. The man's eyes were a striking blue that seemed to be able to penetrate your very soul, complemented by his sunshine blond hair and the bangs that framed his face; his ever-present smile replaced with a grimace.

"I DON'T CARE WHOSE IDEA IT WAS!" the lady screeched and with a final agonised scream, she brought a new life into the world.

"Congratulations! It's a boy!" the doctor announced. The man heaved a ragged sigh of relief and released his mauled appendage from his wife's monstrous grip. Just as he had his hand healed, a masked entity burst into the room, breathing ragged, and sweat pouring down his forehead.

"Yondaime-sama! K-K…" the Anbu member faltered.

"What is it? Calm down and speak slowly" the now identified Yondaime urged.

"Kyuubi is attacking" the masked person choked out.

"WHAT!" everyone in the hospital room chorused, sans the lady, words laced with disbelief. The red-head was now sitting up, sweat beading her forehead, hugging her son close to her.

"You're going aren't you" she said quietly. It wasn't a question. The Yondaime just gave a brief nod and raced toward the frontlines, coat billowing behind him, the embroidered flames dancing on the breeze that was generated.

"I swear. One of these days he's going to get himself killed." The lady sighed. Suddenly, she felt liquid rise into her throat and try to force its way out. She coughed it out as a bid to prevent herself from choking on it and was startled to find that there was a fresh patch of blood on the sheets. She brought her free hand up to her mouth in a daze and swiped at her lips, finding more of the scarlet liquid staining her fingers.

"Lady Kushina! Are you okay?" the doctor inquired, urgency and worry staining her words as she took the baby from the now identified Kushina.

"Of course I'm not fine! I hurt all over from giving birth and now I'm spewing blood!" she choked as she spat out another globule of her life blood, too drained to deter the doctor from conducting a diagnosis jutsu on her body.

As Kushina's life slipped away bit by bit like the sand in an hourglass, we find her husband in his office, pondering over various ways to defeat the threat to defend his little piece of heaven, his mind racing over various probabilities a million miles an hour after having retreated from the frontlines to devise a battle strategy to take down the rampaging demon. He was on the brink of despair after going through many strategies having them all fail, when he remembered the seal he had seen in the forbidden scroll.

Being a seals master, he knew what it was and what it could do, but sadly, it came with a price, and that was the sealer's soul and a vessel as a human sacrifice. The seal would imprison the demon and save the village but in return, he would have to give up his soul and essentially, his life and be interlocked in an eternal battle with the demon in the belly of the Death God, leaving his family all alone in the world, his son never knowing the love of a father.

But a vessel was obligatory and he could not be expected to force any other parent to give up their child to carry the burden when he had a child of his own, so he was effectively chaining his son and giving him a possible future of misery and teetering on the edge of insanity and solitude. But if the Kyuubi razed Konohagakure to the ground, there would be no future for any of them. He sighed dejectedly as he pulled out the forbidden scroll and proceed to go over it, making modifications where he deemed necessary.

His hand was a blur as he scribbled down the details and necessities for the seal to work the way he wanted it to, ignoring the ruckus outside, orders being issued by captains, the screams of his subordinates falling and audio proof of the carnage the Kyuubi was causing, after what seemed like an eternity to the young village leader, he left for the hospital, the only evidence of him ever being there was the telltale flash of yellow of his signature technique. Kushina was lying in a pool of her own blood, her breathing laboured as the medic nin tried frantically to cure her of her sudden ailment when the Yondaime materialised in the middle of the room.

He took in the chaotic scene and immediately rushed to his beloved's side, urgently inquiring what was wrong. "Don't worry Minato. You know I won't die so easily. I'll fight this damn cough with all I've got. After all, I AM your wife. I know you'll find a way to defeat the demon" she whispered lovingly before falling unconscious from blood loss.

The medics continued to work on her as Minato turned around and scooped up their son, conviction and renewed determination burning in his eyes. Once again, he left for the frontlines and he knew that this time, he would not be going back. He gave his wife one last kiss as he turned his back on the one he had looked forward to spend the rest of his life with and dashed out of the room, tears flowing freely down his face.

When he reached the epicentre of the battle, he saw a sight he had never wanted to see. His subordinates, no, comrades, strewn across the village like rag dolls and were either dead or dying. He could see the giant demon towering over them all as the remaining shinobi bombarded the Kyuubi with as many attacks as they could muster but he could see that they were tiring and on the brink of exhaustion, both of the mind, body and of chakra.

The moment he arrived on the battlefield, their faces lit up with hope, determined to hold off the threat long enough for him to deal with it, even at the cost of their lives. Seeing this, the weight on Minato's heart lightened a little, knowing that even after he was gone, the Will of Fire would carry on, and the shinobi would give their lives for the sake of their village and precious people.

He summoned a gargantuan toad who went by the name of Gamabunta and could finally literally see eye to eye with the great fox. With only a tiny butterfly of doubt fluttering in his heart, he went through the ritual for the Shiki Fuiin, as the seal was aptly named, and proceeded to seal the Kyuubi into his son. With the final parting words of "I love you. Forever and always." he died.

The survivors of the battle were just regaining their bearings after seeing the chakra slough off the Kyuubi and suddenly disappear. A lone figure stood on the top of the Hokage Monument and looked down on the scene. "You were always too noble for your own good. Why didn't you let me die in your place? Idiot." the figure said, his voice cracking under the weight of having lost his favourite student and precious person. A sliver of moonlight broke through the overcast clouds, illuminating the shadow's face just enough to see a forlorn smile and the tears that etched a track down the laugh lines on his face, betraying his emotions. With that said, he turned and left, disappearing into the dark, lonely night.

It was a terrible day for all of Konoha and it would forever be remembered as a cause for mourning and yet, in a perverse way, celebration. It was the day their beloved Yondaime Hokage made his last stand on the frontlines and defended the village. His story would be told for many other generations and remembered as a hero in the hearts of many in Konoha, but this story is just beginning…

**A/N: I'm really sorry if I offended anyone or you were not satisfied with it. Please give me pointers on how to improve and point out my mistakes because I have not watched/read Naruto in a long time since starting school. I am sorry if this is too cheesy for you. I'M SORRY! (I have Miranda Lotto complex {DGM:9}) I am also sorry if this was too short for you, I'll try harder next chapter. And to clarify things, Kushina died of the weird coughing disease. I am really sorry if you like Kushina because I like her too. It's just that I need her to be dead for the plot to move along. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Oops… :9 I'm sorry. I'm just so used to reading gigantic blocks of texts… **

**Enwa- I'm soooo sorry! Paragraphing has always been my problem even in primary school! I'll try my best to paragraph! And I have not read any books without paragraphing so I really take my hat off to you if you actually pay attention to the format in books. (I usually ignore it… ehehe…)**

**Blakraven- Erm… okay… I'll try not to disappoint… I think…**

**I was not expecting any reviews at all so thanks for taking some of your valuable time to help me improve… **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto because if I did the drawings would be crappy (I can't draw at all to my chagrin…)**

_Chapter 1: Starting from scratch_

Before he blacked out, he noticed the dawn approaching, signalling a new day. Ignoring the bouts of pain shooting through his body, he smiled, embracing the void that was death, knowing that his village was safe…

XXXXXXXXXX Time skip (?) XXXXXXXXXX

He opened his eyes and took note of his surroundings as the world blurred into focus. 'If this is the belly of the death god, it's rather white' he thought, as he tried to move, only to find that he could not. His usually cool and calculating mind short-circuited as he panicked, unhinged by all the events that had happened that day. From the corner of his eye, he saw someone approaching, then doing an about face and leaving. His thoughts immediately returned to their normal working order.

He took in every detail he could and processed the information, finally coming to the conclusion that he had reverted to being a toddler. Not entirely a baby, but still very young, about two to three years of age. He forced himself up shakily, his limbs seeming to disobey him. After what seemed like an eternity, he managed to right himself and glanced around him, noticing that his son was not in the room. He then came to the conclusion that he had somehow absorbed the spirit of his son, sealing the demon into himself and effectively de-aging himself. He flopped down, lamenting his loss before deciding that this was a final gift to him from Naruto to continue protecting the village he so cherished. He sighed once again and let the darkness embrace him once more.

Unbeknownst to baby Minato, the council was deciding what to do with him and that his fate rested in their hands. Unfortunately, things did not seem to be in Minato's favour. "We should kill it before it can attack us again" a merchant voiced his opinion accompanied by sounds of consent and shouts for 'it's' execution. Danzo just sat in his seat, surprisingly silent about the matter, secretly brewing schemes of turning the newly made Jinchuuriki into an emotionless tool, a loyal weapon at his disposal.

"Silence! Wouldn't killing him release the demon and leave it free to destroy the village for real this time? The Yondaime will not be there to seal it again this time around" the Sandaime Hokage bellowed. He looked wearily at the people gathered in the room deciding that he needed to name a successor soon, the lines on his face looking more defined than ever, his grey hair looking bedraggled. They had escaped the nightmare that was Kyuubi but now he found himself in a room filled with corrupted civilians, battling for the life of his now deceased successor's son. He had entered another nightmare, but this was a political one.

"I decree that you are not to speak of this at all and especially not to the younger generation. If anyone in this village speaks of the sealing, the offender will be executed. Understand?" he announced. The civilians all grumbled their assent, not wanting to die. The Sandaime had not been this forceful since he was in his prime and his tone reiterated that he meant business. They were then adjourned, the shinobi half keeping silent, the civilian half whispering and griping among themselves.

Hiruzen Sarutobi also known as the Sandaime Hokage made used Shunshin in a bid to get to the hospital quicker in the event of an attempt on 'Naruto's' life. He strode down the hallways of the hospital, the staff not noticing he was there if that was any evidence of the vast number of casualties they had to tend to. He yanked open the door to ward 490 and swept into the room to find 'Naruto' sleeping peacefully in the cot. He took in the toddler's features, finding the resemblance to his father uncanny with the exception of the whisker marks adorning his cheeks.

He smiled sorrowfully, finding it ironic that Naruto could sleep, not knowing that there had been an attempt to off him, if not politically. He gently picked up the sleeping form and Shunshin'd to an orphanage he had once placed Minato in when he had found the orphan. The familiar feeling of using the Shunshin enveloped his being and moments later, he found himself standing in the middle of a rather well furnished room. He crossed the room to talk to the old matron who was tending to a wound one of her charges had received.

Natsume had worked as a matron in the orphanage for a very long time and was proud to say that she had taken care of the Yondaime himself when he was at the orphanage. She had silvery grey hair that was always pulled severely back into a tight bun when on duty. She had laugh lines framing her mouth and crow's feet branching off from the corners of her eyes. She wore a pink blouse coupled with a grey skirt completed with an apron going over her other apparel, edges of the ribbon peeking out from her wide girth.

All in all, she looked rather grandmotherly and prided herself in seeing the world without bias, always looking from both points of views when a squabble broke out among the orphans she considered her children. The night of the attack had left her with different views of the world after her son and granddaughter were killed on active duty. She was tenderly bandaging the gash on Yuki's hand when the current Hokage in office walked over to her, holding the 'demon child'. She hastily put on her usual warm smile and greeted him, kindly accepting to care for the 'demon child' while secretly coming up with various methods to torture him as retribution for taking away her family members.

Minato woke up to a draft drifting around his body and settling there, chilling him to the bone. His fingers felt icy and he could see his breath steam in front of his face before fading away like a mirage. He took stock of his surroundings and finding himself in an unfamiliar setting once again. There was no blanket covering him and the cot he was in was rotted and looked ready to fall apart at the seams.

He did not recognise the place but there was a little voice nagging in the back of his mind that there was something familiar about the place. He did another sweep of the room and realised that he was in the orphanage he was in when he was a child. He lay down, trying to keep his mind off the deathly cold fingers of winter that was creeping around him, caressing him and leaving him shivering, in need of warmth. As he watched his breath frost in front of his face, he steeled himself for the circus of horrors that had only just begun.

**A/N: Is this a little better? Please voice your opinions and point out my flaws. I'll be all too happy to correct it. (Did you notice I forgot the disclaimer in the prologue? I can be so stupidly muddleheaded sometimes and like I said, I am a lazy, fat cat.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm so happy I could cry. I'm just so happy that nobody flamed me (yet). I was very shocked when I opened my mail inbox and saw about 36 favs, alerts and reviews. I should warn the people who are reading that I will try my hardest not to bash anyone because I respect all the character's personalities, intentions and the like so if you like to see characters like Sakura get bashed, I really advise you not to read… So sorry! By the way, did you know that Second Life is actually the name of the game the manga/novel ½ prince revolves around? **

**Dante Siegfried 888- He is NOT going to be a loud mouth idiot. I'm not going to let that happen. I really like Naruto's character, especially his personality but the one thing I do not like is that the mangaka made him an idiot. I know this contradicts me saying I respect their characters but I feel really sad when such an incredible character is used for comic relief when he does impossibly stupid things. But he is not going to be a genius exactly because Minato does not want them to know he is…well… him basically so I am writing this sentence as an apologia to you if this really puts you off. If it is any consolation, he will not end up dead last and fail because he IS Minato after all. **

**I love cute things- But what if my sentences are really really long? Do I still put 3-4 paragraphs or do I shorten the paragraph to 2-3 sentences? And…um… what do you mean by paragraphing again when someone is ending their speech? **

Chapter 2: Misgivings and Discovery

Minato watched his breath frost in front of him as the pounding of his footsteps echoed in his ears. His lungs felt like they were about to burst and his leg muscles were screaming for rest. The pain in his chest had extended to his shoulders and midriff as the night grew longer. He could feel something cold and sticky trickling down his body as he ran, the origins of the liquid making themselves known by sending occasional bursts of pain through his battered and bruised body. Some of the wounds had even been cauterised by some of the more sadistic assailants and although it stopped the bleeding, the ninja who had done it using a fire jutsu were actually aiming to torture him.

Minato glanced up at the sky, noting that daybreak was drawing closer and the weekly rite of beating him up was nearing its end. The sound of his own ragged breathing filled his ears as his 8 year old self ran through the streets and alleyways, searching for a reprieve from the beatings. As he collapsed on the outskirts of training ground 7, he once again found himself doubting Konoha. Over the years he had oftentimes wondered why he had even sacrificed himself for the village in the first place but shrugged it off and remembered all the wonderful memories of the place with Jiraiya, Kushina, his team, and the list went on.

This night was different because they were never this aggressive on normal days before; and they normally stopped chasing him at around 1 AM but they seemed very persistent that night because he could tell it was nearing dawn. He felt the pain in his body subside into a dull ache that was forgotten as he lost himself in reverie and, staring up at the waning moon partially obscured by the clouds, he absently tugged on the choker around his neck, fiddling with the diminutive tri-pronged kunai on the end of it.

Minato had no idea how it had gotten there but it had been there when he woke up after finding himself in the orphanage. He had tried countless times to remove it but it proved too stubborn to get rid of so he had resorted to trying to cut it off but alas it was all in vain. He thought the pendant was ironic and although it could work as a fully functioning blade, he found that it didn't hurt him in any way, even when one of the mobsters grabbed it and tried to dismember him with it on 'his' birthday.

The beatings were especially harsh on his birthdays and even the word harsh did not do justice to the severity of the attacks on that particular day and although he did not want to pass himself off as delusional, there were just too many precious memories about the place he wanted to preserve to hate them. Besides, his anger and spite usually dispersed not long after the beatings anyway. He thought it strange but never questioned why.

Hiruzen acted as a grandfather figure to him, giving him monthly allowances and visiting him occasionally but despite the law that was passed, people still spoke about it albeit discreetly. Cessation of the beatings had not occurred despite his threats but Minato was grateful that escalation hadn't either. He had been enrolled into the Ninja Academy courtesy of Hiruzen but the teachers scorned him and made attempts to stunt his learning process as much as possible, not that he would let them have the satisfaction of seeing him drop to the position of dead last.

He had played his cards well and was now somewhere in the middle of the class in ranking, although the reports always depicted him as the Dead Last. He was careful not to do anything that would link him to his previous self but it was especially difficult not to just rear his head and pound his sparring partner into the ground instead of taking a fair amount of beating due to him always being paired up with Sasuke, the Prodigy. The teachers had always hoped that Sasuke would 'put the demon in its place'. Minato sighed involuntarily, knowledgeable of Sasuke's ignorance of being used for their so called revenge.

He had also been burning midnight oil, researching ways to bring Kushina back from the dead but so far his efforts had proved fruitless. He had also conducted experiments to see if he could use his old techniques in his new body but chalked it up to the body not being ready for the strain of the jutsus when he failed to produce favourable results, driving him to train himself to exhaustion whenever he was away from prying eyes.

The sounds of shouting and heavy footsteps in accompaniment with the clanking of weapons broke Minato out of his stupor as he pushed himself up and hightailed out of the clearing before they could catch him. As he directed them back to the streets. He took a wrong turn in his haste despite knowing the pathways like the back of his hand, and found himself in a dead end. He about-faced and was about to sprint out of the alley when his muscles refused to obey his commands anymore, and, cursing his amateurish mistake, he wished for the millionth time that he still had his old body and the Kyuubi never attacked.

He could feel himself growing lightheaded and the dour alleyway started blurring due to the amount of blood he had lost via the multiple wounds he had suffered. The sounds of the mob drew closer and yet he could do nothing about it. He cursed his helplessness and inability to do anything and tried to ignore the buzzing in his body as he tried to force his limbs to move. Through the numbing cold and the injuries wrecking havoc on his pain receptors, he felt his back collide with the wall as darkness began to fill the corners of his already hazy vision.

Without registering what he was doing, he brought one of his mangled arms and gripped the pendant on his choker tightly in his hand as if his life depended on it, causing a thin thread of blood to trail down his hand, still wishing desperately that he still had his old body. Before he knew what was happening, warmth blossomed through his abused body and dulled the pain and chased away the cold fingers of winter. The sudden focus allowed Minato to check his body to find the source of the comforting feeling but when he did conduct a quick check, he found that the baggy clothes he was wearing was suddenly too tight fitting and the ground seemed further away than it was before.

Sensing something odd, he turned to the window embedded in the back door of a shop and couldn't help but allow a sharp intake of breath. There was a significant lack of whisker marks, he was taller, and was basically back in his old body and looking as if he hadn't aged a day since the attack. He hastily used Hiraishin and flashed to the top of the Shodaime's head on the Hokage Monument, remembering that he had once put a Hiraishin seal there because it was the one place where he felt closest to the vast sky. Being there had a calming effect on him and he settled down on the carving to ponder what had just occurred.

His mind played back the events of the attack starting from the when he left himself vulnerable by running into the alleyway. He was thinking so hard you could practically see the gears turning in his head. He didn't even notice when the sun came up and bore down imperiously on Konoha, signalling the start of a new day as the people below him busied themselves with their morning preparations.

Theorising that it had something to do with the choker and his desire coupled with the visualisation of his old body, he decided to experiment. Minato closed his eyes and tried visualising the form he had been in for the past 6 years and immediately experienced the same explosion of warmth throughout his body. Upon opening his eyes, he took note that he was back in the form everyone in Konoha knew but loathed. The other thing that he noticed was that somewhere and somewhen between his old body and his new one, the injuries he had sustained had disappeared.

This new development proved to be useful and yet complicated things for him. He had been trying desperately to hide who he really was and now he discovered that he could return to his old self. The years of abuse and beatings he suffered came washing over him, causing him to rethink trying to resume office as the Hokage again. No. He decided to wait and let Konoha prove itself to be the prestigious and harmonious village it was meant to be. Until then, he would keep up the façade and would not help unless his village was entering war or turbulent times.

After making this mental vow, Minato then proceeded to make his way back home and prepare for the Academy, considering letting himself skive once and pull a Shikamaru by sleeping in class. He was troubled by how he was supposed to find clothes for his original body but found himself weighing the option of letting his last surviving student, Kakashi, know about his existence but decided against it as he rushed to the Academy because the fewer the number of people who knew, the better. And the current headcount was 1: himself.

**A/N: I think there will be mistakes in here without a doubt so please correct me. I haven't had time to go and search for a betareader so… I hate it when the internet gets all 'laggy' on weekends. It's really annoying… By the way, there might be some inconsistencies in this because I'm really out of it today and I can't seem to remember what it is I want to type after 3 seconds… Oh and I said it was winter in Konoha but there was no snow. You'll probably criticize me on that. Well, you know how in the entire Naruto anime I have never seen snow in Konoha but princess Koyuki's dad told her about spring so I assumed they have seasons in the elemental countries so I thought that Konoha might be like Singapore where we don't have winter per se. Winter comes but there is no snow. It just rains A LOT. We call it the monsoon season anyway if you're curious… **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Even though school is virtually over there is still SO much to be done… Sigh… Especially what with my CCA and stuff I can't find that much time to do this. In case of you getting misconceptions about whether I'm conceited. I just can't disable the *bleep* function. Sigh… Please correct me about the Great Ninja wars thing if I get it wrong because I never really paid attention to those.**

Chapter 3: Academy

Iruka was halfway through teaching the his class about the history of the First Great Ninja War when the door suddenly flew off its hinges to reveal 'Naruto' standing in the doorway, looking like he'd just run a marathon which, knowing him, he most probably had. He flushed when he noticed all heads directed at him and struggled to put the door back in its original position.

"I think it was much easier to bust it down than put it back" he mused as he abandoned the door to slide into the empty seat next to Hinata, remaining completely oblivious when she turned a colour that would have put a tomato to shame. Iruka sighed at his student's crazy antics and proceeded to give him a dressing down before the sound of snoring reached his ears. A vein in his forehead popped and he snatched the nearest non-lethal object and hurled it at the source.

Minato was out like a light the moment his head made contact with the table. Snores escaped from his lips as Iruka's words passed over him, unheard. He was suddenly wide awake when he felt a shift in the wind's direction and knew from experience that something was being thrown at him. Alarm bells went off in his head as every muscle in his body strained to move away or at least catch it. It was a reflex beaten into him and honed during the Third Great Ninja War.

He forced his body to stay still to keep up his façade and was beaned by a duster, the powder coming off it in an explosion of white, causing the ones nearest to him to erupt in a sneezing fit. Minato sighed as he brushed the white chalk powder out of his hair and sat up to look at his sensei, deciding to let adrenaline keep him awake for the rest of the school day. Iruka sighed exasperatedly as he returned to writing on the chalkboard and lecturing his class.

He was especially worried about 'Naruto' not because he was failing, but because of the way he burned the candle at both ends. Iruka occasionally spied on his worrisome student and found that he was much better than he let on. Scratch that, he was practically a genius. He researched sealing methods late into the night that only the Yondaime or the Legendary Toad Sage Jiraiya could understand, he trained himself in high-level techniques and had even mastered a large number of said techniques. If they were to spar in Taijutsu, he would most likely lose hands down, especially in speed if 'Naruto' deactivated the gravity seals on his person. The most incredible thing though, was that 'Naruto' was only 8!

Iruka feared that his student was more of an enigma than everyone would care to believe and was secretly training himself so hard. He was afraid 'Naruto' would fall apart under all this. Academy in the day, rigorous training in the afternoon, researching or attempts on his life at night. Meals were taken in Ichiraku's but even then, he only ate two meals a day and not three and he was clearly sleep deprived but hid it extremely well. Iruka made a mental note to have a talk with his wayward student.

As Minato listened to his sensei drone on about the Shodaime, he thought about the girl sitting next to him. He was sure her name was Hinata or something along those lines. He was only sure about the fact that she was the Hyuuga heiress. He found her very queer because she always turned red and started to stutter whenever he got close. So different from his outgoing Kushina. He decided to divert his attention to the pink haired girl snuggling up to a clearly irate Sasuke because the thought of his wife made his heart clench.

The pink haired girl was Sakura. She must have been named 'Sakura' due to the colour of her hair being as pink as cherry blossoms or 'sakura' as it were. She clearly smitten with Itachi's brother, Sasuke, who was so unlike his cousin Obito. Looking at the two was painful because they reminded him of those he had lost. Sasuke of Obito and Sakura of Kushina.

He sighed and directed his attention to the only other blonde in the room. Yamanaka Ino. Minato knew her father well. After all, they had been friends since their Gennin days. He had seen Inoichi around, still working for the Torture and Interrogation division even after his 'death'. He was immensely happy when he found that Inoichi was among the survivors.

Anyway, Ino was Sakura's 'rival' in the 'race for Sasuke's heart' as the Sasuke fan club called it. He disliked fan girls and wouldn't have let them be. It was a danger to her life, her team mates and the mission. Fan girls were nearly useless but with a little encouragement and training, they were a potentially great asset.

There was Shikamaru, son of Shikaku and every bit as lazy but every bit a genius in the thinking department. Chouji, son of Chouza. Even from the first glance you could tell that he was an Akimichi. It seemed like the Ino-Shika-Cho trio would live again. Then there was Kiba and his ninken, Akamaru. Kiba was brash, reckless and loud but also loyal to a fault. He was a good friend to have once you saw past his flaws. Akamaru followed Kiba everywhere and participated in most of the attacks in Kiba's arsenal. It was a major faults but it could be corrected.

Lastly there was Shino. He was rather reserved and stoic. He was just like his father in every respect but did not seem to have many friends and did not seem keen on extending his small circle of friends. There were others in the class but Minato never took the time to get to know them. Sasuke had become rather withdrawn after Itachi slaughtered his clan and Minato himself was in shock when he heard of what happened because he did not believe that Itachi was one to commit an atrocity to that degree. He made attempts to get Sasuke to open up to them but was pushed away. He had watched the fan club's passes at Sasuke and wondered if their raving was making the situation worse.

"Alright class, you are dismissed for lunch. Gather at the training field after lunch for practical lessons." Iruka said.

The class emptied in seconds and the only ones still there were his sensei, himself, Shikamaru and Chouji. He was walking out the door when Iruka suddenly called out to him. "What is it sensei?" he called from the doorway.

"Come down here! I want to talk to you" Shrugging, Minato walked down the aisle to the front of the room.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" he inquired.

"Well, I have, for lack of a better word, spying on you. I noticed you studying high level seals. What is that about?" Minato flinched at Iruka's question but remained silent. "What's more, I saw you training the other day and from what I can tell, your taijutsu and ninjutsu are above what we teach in class but you don't display these skills during practical examinations. Why?" Iruka questioned.

"I'm sorry. I can't tell you sensei." Minato murmured as he stole a glance at his classmates leaving the room, shooting him questioning glances.

"I'm your sensei. It's my job to care about what my students are doing. Please tell me. Maybe I can help you" Iruka pushed.

"It's okay. I don't need any help. And about the nin and taijutsu, a ninja has to have his secrets so I'm sorry but I can't tell you sensei" Minato smiled. For a fleeting moment, Iruka thought a shadow of the Yondaime's smile in his charge but shrugged it off as fatigue getting to him.

"Okay. You can go" he said sceptically but 'Naruto' was already out the door. Iruka sighed and gathered his papers, contemplating where to go for lunch, the mystery that was his student never leaving his mind.

Minato sat in the shade of a large tree and leaned against the bark, his sensei's words still fresh in his mind. He cursed his new body's less than perfect sensory abilities, making a mental note to work on that. He was about to drift off when he felt someone approaching. Lazily peeking out of one eye, he saw the Hyuuga heiress making her way towards him. "U-um. I n-noticed you were al-lone. C-could I s-sit with you?" she stuttered. Minato nodded mutely, scooting over to make space for her.

She settled down in the grass beside him and opened her bento. The smell was intoxicating to him but, as always, he had not brought anything to eat. His stomach growled in protest and he blushed, abashed. "U-um, N-Naruto-kun, w-would you like me t-to sh-share my bento with y-you? I m-made too m-much…" she flushed. "I can't accept that. It's your lunch" he protested. "N-no. I i-insist," she stated nervously. "But-"he was cut off when Hinata uncharacteristically shoved a piece of sushi in his mouth. She squeaked when she realised what she had done and apologised profusely when he started to choke.

After Minato got the sushi out of his system with the help of Hinata, he could see she really did not mind him eating a portion of her lunch. He tentatively used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of sushi and hesitantly bit into it. His eyes widened "Hinata! This tastes incredible! Did you make this yourself?" "I've been making my own lunch since my mother passed away" she said meekly. "Well, you're an excellent cook! You'd make an awesome wife!" he complimented before hearing a thud.

He whipped around and saw Hinata passed out on the ground, bliss written all over her face. Remaining completely oblivious, he shook her frantically, trying to rouse her. He could come up with complex seals, invent jutsus and single-handedly turn the tide of a war in his favour but the one thing he could not do was understand a girl. "Hey! Hinata! Are you sick or something? Hey!" he questioned, frantically shaking her prone body.

She slowly came to but immediately fainted dead away again, seeing 'Naruto's' face at such close proximity. Minato sighed and let her be, eating a few more pieces of sushi while waiting for her to return to the land of the living. The rest of the recess saw the duo sharing Hinata's bento. When lunch was over, they headed to the academy training grounds.

They started with basic warm-ups then moved on to target practise. Chouji flung the kunai one by one and managed a score of 6/10. Shikamaru lazily threw the kunai and scored 5/10, the bare minimum for the exercise. Knowing him, he could have gotten better marks but was too lazy to make expend his effort. Shino most probably took calculated throws at the boards because it was in his nature to do so. Sasuke scored a perfect 10/10 as usual.

Minato resisted all urges to pick up all the kunai and throw them all at once; fully confident he would hit the bull's eye on all the dartboards. It was too easy for him because these were stationary whereas the ones he was used to moved, and they moved fast. He slowly released the kunai one by one at a painfully slow rate and missed a few on purpose, chalking up a total of 8 points out of 10. The male's and female's practical training were conducted separately so he could not observe the training regime of the fairer sex.

Meanwhile, Hinata, who had also accumulated a total of 8 points was watching nervously as Sakura and Ino challenged each other to see who could get the most points and ending up cat fighting on the floor when they had both gotten 9/10. When all the girls had had their chances at the targets, their sensei herded them indoors for ikebana.

Minato and the male half of the class were sparring on the grounds. Iruka was not in charge of the sparring resulting in Minato ending up pitted against Sasuke yet again. Their fight was first. Sasuke entered the ring with his usual aloof front and Minato followed soon after. They stood at opposite ends of the ring, waiting for the signal to begin. "Hajime!" the teacher shouted with a wicked glint in his eyes, wanting to see 'Naruto' get beaten again.

The moment the word left the teacher's mouth, Minato, ignoring all instincts, mimicked Sasuke and the two boys dashed at each other, eager to land some punches. Sasuke's fist shot out, intent on punching Minato but the latter twisted around the attack and countered with a right hook of his own. He drew first blood as the hook connected with Sasuke's jaw. Sasuke spat out the blood that had pooled in his mouth and grabbed Minato's outstretched arm, kneed him viciously in the stomach.

Minato stumbled backwards, coughing. He faltered and his opponent took the opportunity to land a kick. Minato saw the incoming attack but forced himself to take the attack, landing on his back. Sensing Sasuke closing in on him, he twisted his body and propped himself up on his palms while lashing out at his sparring partner with both feet, flipping his legs over his head in a bridge and righting himself. By the time Minato was upright, Sasuke was still recovering from the mule kick and was wide open to another attack when Minato clasped his fist in his palm and drove his elbow in Sasuke's ribs, sending him to the ground.

Sasuke quickly recovered and grabbed Minato's arm, sending him hurtling over his shoulder in a judo throw. Minato saw the ground rushing up to meet him but resisted and ended up sprawled on the floor on his back, out of the ring. He had lost by default. Sasuke's face was overcast and was clearly unhappy about winning by default but remained mute, accepting his win graciously.

He clearly thought of 'Naruto' a worthy opponent because he deigned to acknowledge him occasionally. The teacher on duty was visibly upset that the 'demon' had not been beaten to a pulp by their star student. As the school medic fussed over Sasuke, Minato wandered off to watch the other spars, disregarding his rapidly healing wounds.

Shikamaru faced off against someone he did not recognize but that had not mattered because he had given up the moment they started. Kiba was pitted against Shino and it was found that Shino was rather gifted in taijutsu because he had won against Kiba, who, despite his reliance on his ninken, could definitely hold his own in an all out taijutsu spar. It had been a close call but he had won nonetheless. Minato sat down beneath another tree, feeling very drained. He closed his eyes and waited to be called back into the classroom for ninjutsu practise.

Hinata looked down at her floral arrangement, frowning slightly. She had yet to see the point of these ikebana classes. She sighed in defeat and looked longingly out of the window, thinking that sparring would be more beneficial for aspiring kunoichi. It was not as if they could stop enemy ninja from assassinating them by offering them a floral arrangement. She daydreamed about what her Gennin life would be like as she waited for the ninjutsu lessons, barely registering Sakura and Ino sitting a row down, bickering about Sasuke again as they shoved at each other to watch the spars taking place down stairs.

When they were all back in the classroom, they were told that they were going to be learning the basics of Kawarimi that day and were going to spend the rest of the day trying to switch places with an inanimate object. Minato saw no reason in attempting it but appeared to be trying to appease his sensei. He watched with boredom as the teacher went down the aisle, helping out those who were struggling. As he surveyed the classroom, he saw, to his amusement, that most of them were having trouble performing the jutsu. One had even gone blue in the face with the effort.

He watched as Hinata and Sasuke effortlessly pulled it off, returning to his acting when he sensed his sensei approaching. As Minato glanced into the teacher's eyes, he could tell that the teacher was going to make a pass at trying to guide him in the wrong direction and decided to screw with his sensei.

The teacher stopped in front of his desk and started showing him the wrong hand signs, ignorant of Minato's complete mastery of the Kawarimi, allowing him to perform it even without hand signs. When his sensei challenged Minato to use the jutsu, he was left dumbfounded when his charge used the hand signs he had showed him and yet executed the move perfectly.

Scowling, he decided to just leave the 'demon brat' alone and focus his time on his other students. After a whole period of sleeping, Minato got up and left when the teacher announced it was time to go home. Once they were dismissed, Minato walked back to his apartment, determined to spend most of his afternoon honing his sensory skills.

The sun hung high in the sky and was scorching all it looked down upon when he reached his destination. After finding out that Iruka had been tailing him, he resolved to use this place for a training ground until he had his detection skills up to scratch again. He shed the clothes he wore in public, revealing a black sleeveless shirt open-necked shirt coupled with a pair of black slacks. This ensemble showed off his lithe form and emphasising his toned frame.

He pulled on a glove with a metal plate backing it and slid his trademark weapon out of his kunai holster and inserted his finger into the ring. He strode into the training ground, twirling the tri-pronged kunai on his index finger as he passed through a door in the chain-link fence, darkness enveloping his being until there was no evidence of him being there. His afternoon training had begun, in Training Ground 44, the Forest of Death.

**A/N: If you're wondering where he got his tri-pronged kunai from could we just go with him stashing them in a crevice in the Shodaime Hokage's carving because if I remember correctly the Hokage Monument is actually quite hollow according to a filler… And about how he got into the Forest of Death, he picked the lock. I'm so sorry I haven't started with the canon events yet. I promise I'll try to do canon in the next chapter. I've been doing a lot of time skipping so far... which is not exactly very far...**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm so sorry about my multiple faults. I really have to brush up on Naruto facts. Besides that, it takes me around 3 hours to write one miserable chapter. *sigh* I don't deny that I cry easily and that I'm not exactly a Naruto otaku, my sister is. With school, necessities and dealing with my super annoying sister, I might not update often.**

**Hitsugayatoshirou1220-Thanks so much! I didn't know that! I always sucked at history. Still do. **

**Azurealkaze- I honestly don't know… I'm just kinda winging it as much as I hate to admit it. And likewise.**

**Thanks you for reviewing (nyan). It got me out of depression because last time it stopped at 13. Unlucky. (I'm kind of superstitious.)**

Chapter 4: Graduation Exams

'RIIIIIINNNNGGGG' Minato yelped as he tumbled out of bed, landing on the floor in a heap. He got up and nursed the bruise on his forehead, grumbling as he smashed the source of the annoying sound. He tossed the decimated alarm clock into the growing pile in the corner. 34 and counting. He was about to reach for the orange jumpsuit he always wore in public when he cursed as he remembered that his last one had been ripped to shreds by one of the monstrous excuses for animals in the Forest of Death.

He made a mental note to stock up on jumpsuits and sighed in defeat as he pulled on his training clothes, not having anything else to wear. Sighing again as he trudged to the bathroom to freshen himself up, he jolted as he passed his calendar, noticing that the day was marked out with a memo next to it stating that the Graduation Exams were on that day. He double checked his dead alarm clock and realised he had set it an hour late the night before. Arms and legs flailing, he scrambled into the bathroom.

He multi-tasked, vigorously brushing his teeth while splashing water on his face before rinsing his mouth and scrubbing at his face with enough strength to tear it off and drying it. He rushed into the living room and heaped his bowl with cereal, not having the time to cook and forcefully shovelled spoonful after spoonful into his mouth, doing an incredible imitation of a chipmunk. After miraculously swallowing the generous amount of cereal, he dashed out the window in a blur of black and yellow, hastily making his way towards the academy, all the while reading a book on sealing he had brought along. Minato barrelled into the classroom, barely arriving on time.

He slid into the seat beside Sasuke, not even winded from the run. Over the years they had grown quite close, but their relationship was far from that of best buds. He had, however, befriended Shikamaru, Hinata and Kiba besides Sasuke. Befriending Shikamaru also meant that Chouji had joined his circle of friends as well. The gang often hung out during lunch break but not so much Sasuke as the rest because he was always being overrun by fan girls. Minato chuckled, reminiscing his younger days when he too, had a fan club. Not that he liked being stalked 24/7 by a group of love sick girls. He sympathised with Sasuke but was secretly happy that they were chasing Sasuke and not him.

He ignored the curious stares he received from his classmates directed at his sudden change in attire and returned to perusing the book he had on hand. Not long after, Iruka made his appearance and started taking attendance. Just as he was nearing the middle of the class list, Ino and Sakura entered, fighting over their love interest as per normal. They were always at each other's necks and Minato was sure that once they reached the ends of their necks, they were going to butt heads. He sighed. He had been doing that a lot that day. Sighing, that is.

He had not gotten to know Sakura very well but he had always been willing to try. The only problem was that Sakura had brushed him off whenever he attempted making small talk. She might have thought he was hitting on her or something along those lines. She walked past him and took an empty seat in the front, clearly unhappy about not being able to sit next to her crush. "I'm sure you all know about the importance of these exams. This is your first step to becoming ninja…" Minato tuned out the rest of his sensei's incredibly long and boring speech. "So follow your heart and you will be lead on the right path." He ended.

"Did you get that last sentence out of a fortune cookie?" someone quipped.

"Actually, yes. Yes I did." Iruka deadpanned.

He called for silence as he handed out the test papers and sat at the desk as he observed the ongoing test. Minato took one glance and knew that he could have breezed through the test but calculated the amount of marks he would have needed to get an average score and attempted the test. He was nearing the end of the paper when a question caught his eye. 'What technique was the Yondaime Hokage most famous for?' he read. Minato chuckled inwardly, tickled by the irony of it all. 'Answering a question about myself? How odd.' He thought. He scribbled down his answer and advanced to the following question.

Upon completing the test, he laid down his pencil and just sat stock still, waiting as the minutes ticked by, only moving to hand up his test paper once the time was up. They all filed out the door to the training ground for the taijutsu component. They all had to land at least one hit on the instructor or last 3 minutes without forfeiting, getting knocked out, or thrown out of the ring. Minato observed his classmates' spars with disinterest, only watching them to note down their weaknesses and katas. Most of their taijutsu styles were sloppy versions of the academy taijutsu style.

Minato had the misfortune of being tested by Mizuki, who was one of many who held hostility towards him. The moment they started, Minato knew that his sensei was aiming to inflict as much damage as possible under the pretext of testing his taijutsu skills. Mizuki charged at his most hated student and brought his fist down in a left hook, only for his 'demonic' charge to dodge his attack, slip through his field of defence and deliver an uppercut that caused a ringing in his ears. Minato returned to his side of the field and said, "Do I pass sensei?" his face the very picture of innocence. Mizuki growled menacingly but corrected it into a very strained smile that looked more like a grimace and declared "Yes Naruto, you pass the taijutsu test."

As Minato's evaluation was last, they all gathered backing the classroom for the ninjutsu portion. Minato flipped open his book and read until he heard his name being called. He strolled towards the door without a care in the world, and disappeared through the door. Mizuki was planning on using the 'demon brat' as a scapegoat for his plan on stealing the Forbidden Scroll, but what he did not count on was 'Naruto' passing the exam so his plans were shot straight to hell. He silently fumed as he watched 'Naruto' collect a headband from Iruka and tie it around his neck before ambling out of the room, blithe. As the students took the test one by one, Minato occupied himself by reading his book, occasionally looking up to congratulate his friends and to chat with them.

Eventually, they had gone through all the students and by some miracle, every single student had passed. After they were released, Minato shunshin'd to the forest he had been using as a training ground. His detection and tracking skills had gotten better from his time spent in the Forest of Death and was now using a regular forest as a training ground.

He arrived at the grounds and immediately set about running laps around the perimeter of the forest and did basic warm ups before creating Kage Bunshin and proceeded to spar with them. He preferred these to wooden training dummies if he couldn't get a sparring partner because they kept him on his toes and allowed him to improve past his current level. Even though they dispelled with each blow, an abundance of them working against him proved to be a challenge.

As he was getting started on ninjutsu practise, he noticed a dark shape flitting through the canopy. Being as curious as he was, he followed after the figure, dead set on finding out who this person was and where he was heading to. Coming into a clearing, a sliver of light filtered through the canopy, revealing a mop of silvery grey hair, a Chunnin flak jacket and a giant scroll strapped to the figure's back.

Minato recognised the scroll as the Forbidden Scroll. After all, he had been the keeper of it when he had been in office. He launched himself down onto the figure, delivering a heel drop and ripping the scroll of his/her person. The clouds parted, revealing an irate Mizuki. Minato stared in disbelief. Was this the level the academy teachers were stooping to now? Before either of them could move, Iruka flew out of the brush and tackled Minato to the ground, rolling along the ground in a tangle of flailing limbs.

Mizuki took the opportunity to launch a giant shuriken at them as they struggled to recover from the tumble. Sensing the danger, Iruka threw himself out in front of 'Naruto', acting as a human shield. Minato had sensed the shuriken as well and when he saw his sensei throw himself out in front of him, he reacted immediately by throwing his sensei to the ground and whipping out a kunai to block the incoming object in one fluid motion. Iruka stood protectively over his charge, steeling himself for the pain that was to come but the only thing he felt was a rough shove and the sound of metal clashing against metal. He opened his eyes to see his student standing over him, a tri-pronged kunai grasped in both hands, deflecting the large shuriken.

There was a fire in his eyes that he had never seen in his charge before and his eyes bugged when he registered what his student was gripping in his hands. "How- Where did you get that? I thought that weapon was exclusively for the Yondaime's use!" he asked, baffled. He heard his charge cursing under his breath before engaging Mizuki in battle. Minato cursed and made a mental note to keep his normal kunai on his person while training. His troublesome teacher was learning way too much for comfort.

He directed his attention to Mizuki, not knowing where he was going to take the scroll, but considered him a traitor for attempting to harm his comrades. He dashed towards Mizuki and engaged him in battle, the two exchanging fast and furious blows. Iruka stared at them from the ground before snapping out of it and flaring his chakra to attract attention.

"Do you know why…the villagers… hate you?" Mizuki said between blows.

"Yes" Minato deadpanned, jabbing at Mizuki with his elbow.

Mizuki growled, his trump card for gaining the upper hand gone. After a few minutes of a stalemate, Minato decided to step things up a bit and began throwing punches faster than before. Mizuki landed on a branch and pulled out a vial, gulping down the contents. His form began to change until he looked more like a tiger humanoid rather than a homosapien. Minato sensed the sudden dramatic increase in his opponent's chakra and decided not to pull any more punches.

Gripping the pendant on his choker, he felt the now familiar warmth spreading through his body and opened his eyes, pulling out a host of tri-pronged kunai. He looked over to Mizuki who seemed to have gone mad, a deranged look sparking in his eyes. The solution Mizuki had consumed had caused his chakra, strength, everything, to skyrocket, but his conscience seemed to be the price. He was now no more than an overpowered zombie.

Iruka's jaw had long since dropped and was staring at the spectacle, wondering if he was hallucinating. Mizuki had turned into a tiger like THING, his student turned into the Yondaime, Naruto-Yondaime disappeared and sliced Mizuki Tiger's head off and was now heading towards him. Either the world was going crazy or he was going insane.

Minato had forgot all about the unwilling spectator and could've smacked himself on the forehead. He made his way to Iruka, intending to get Iruka to keep all that he saw a secret. He kneeled down and became level with his ex-sensei.

"Please, keep this a secret," he requested.

"What was that just now?" Iruka choked out, still shell shocked.

"It is whatever you make of it but right now I am begging you to keep this a secret. For your student." And with those that cryptic message, he departed, vanishing into the night.

Sarutobi was sitting in his office, crying over his shattered scrying orb. One of the Gennin teams had come in with Tora earlier that day and Tora had knocked over his crystal ball while escaping. Meanwhile, Minato was lying in his bed, relieved to be in his original form, pondering the fact that another knew his secret. Current headcount: 2.

**A/N: Sorry this chapter will be crappy coz I was rushing. Correct my mistakes please. Thanks.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I might not be updating in a while. By the way, it was raining today. I was running and slipped and fell. In public. On a separate note, you don't know how happy I am to receive your reviews. Minato and Sasuke will not kiss because Minato is sensible enough not to get up on the table and stare Sasuke down.**

Chapter 5: Team

Minato was dreading going to the academy to receive his team placement, seeing as what happened the night before between himself and his sensei. He dragged himself out of bed and busied himself with morning preparations, trying to take his mind off the imminent meeting. After heading out for school, he took the ground route, meeting some of his friends along the way. He had always felt sad about the fact that his friends were actually befriending someone they didn't know the first thing about and yet they thought they knew everything. Someone who never existed in the first place.

It felt horrible having to hide who he was from the people around him but it was obligatory. Upon reaching the academy, they were greeted by the sight of Ino and Sakura, neck and neck, racing toward the door, before causing it to explode outwards as they rushed in, fighting over who had the honour of sitting next to their crush. Minato took the opportunity of slipping into the seat next to Sasuke in the confusion. "Hey," he greeted. Sasuke nodded in acknowledgement and returned the greeting.

After the exchange of pleasantries, Sakura sat down in the other empty seat next to Sasuke, having won the debate/ battle with her rival/ best friend. He started to make small talk with Sasuke, discussing their would-be team and new sensei when Iruka entered the room and did the usual routine of taking attendance. After calling role, he started rattling off a speech that would bore even an old man to tears. After the incredibly boring speech, he finally got to what they had all been anticipating, team placements.

"Alright. Team 1 is…" he droned on, which Minato tuned out, until he heard 'his' name. "Team 7 will be Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. Your Jounin sensei is Hatake Kakashi. Team 8 will be Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba and Hyuuga Hinata. Your Jounin sensei is Yuhi Kurenai. Team 9 is still in circulation. Team 10 will be Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji and Yamanaka Ino. Your Jounin sensei is Sarutobi Asuma. The Rookie of the Year is Sasuke. Congratulations and I wish you luck in all your endeavours. It was a pleasure teaching you all."

With his piece said, he made his way out, but stopped when he passed 'Naruto' and said "I want to speak with you. Meet me outside the classroom." And with that, he left. Minato got up and followed after his sensei, getting questioning glances from his friends. He smiled reassuringly and left out the door, trailing after his sensei. Iruka wordlessly led Minato into the classroom opposite and begun his interrogation.

"What is it you wanted to discuss sensei?" Minato asked nervously.

"What happened last night? I want to know. As your sensei I ask you to tell me." Iruka questioned.

"What are you talking about sensei?" Minato asked, cocking his head to the side in mock confusion.

"You know what I'm talking about! You turned into the Yondaime and beat Mizuki! Mizuki also freaking tigerized! Tell me everything now!" he shouted, tired of playing games.

"Sensei, are you sure it wasn't just a dream? Are you feeling okay?" he asked, placing his hand on his sensei's forehead.

"Kunai pouch! Now!" Iruka glared at his irksome student. Minato reluctantly handed it over, breaking out in cold sweat as his sensei opened it and begun to search for something. "If yesterday's events were a dream, then what is this?" he asked, his voice sweet as honey and yet laced with poison as he produced a tri-pronged kunai from 'Naruto's' pouch.

"Um… A really tiny pitchfork?" he asked, smiling sweetly.

"Nice try Naruto. Spill it. Now! And I mean it!" Iruka snapped.

Minato turned away "What do you want to know? I swear I'll tell the truth. It might even be refreshing." Iruka could see that he meant it.

"For starters, who are you?" he queried.

"Namikaze Minato. Yondaime Hokage." 'Naruto' confessed.

"Why are you posing as a student?" he asked. Minato then retold his story to his sensei, half doubting if he could trust the man. After telling his sensei everything, he watched as the dumbstruck look on Iruka's face slowly disappear as he began to comprehend what he had just been told. "So basically you don't want to resume office until we prove ourselves and want me to keep this a secret?" Iruka summarised.

"Wow! You just summarised my one hour long story in thirty seconds. But essentially, yes. So can you?" Minato pleaded.

"Okay, but I have doubts about not telling the Hokage about this…" Iruka trailed off before being tackled by a chibified Yondaime

"Thanks sensei! That's a load off my chest! I've gotta go meet my old student. Wait he's my sensei now. You have no idea how weird this feels." Minato babbled in his relief as he made his way back to his original classroom. 'Wait. If Kakashi's my sensei now, he's definitely going to arrive late.' He thought, never really understanding why he had constantly gyrated towards being extremely late.

Upon reaching the classroom, he noted that it was empty apart from his teammates, the rest having been taken away by their new teachers already. He chuckled lightly, entering the classroom and dragging his new team mates towards Ichiraku's, so suddenly that Sasuke and Sakura were too shocked to even protest. Upon arriving, he dropped them unceremoniously on the floor and proceeded to order 10 bowls of miso ramen for himself.

His team mates got up, nonplussed and livid. "What did you do that for Naruto?" Sakura shouted, afraid that they would miss their chance at becoming ninja by being late to meet their sensei. "Listen. I know Hatake-san well enough to know that he will be at least 2 hours late so stop and smell the roses. Come order something to eat!" 'Naruto' replied cheerily. "Naruto! How can you just-" "I'll take one beef ramen" she was cut off by Sasuke who had sat down beside 'Naruto', watching his blonde team mate inhale bowl after bowl of ramen and yet with amazing poise.

Sakura tentatively sat down beside her crush, and ordered a cup of green tea. "What? That's it? Nothing else?" 'Naruto' asked, horrified. "Well, I'm on a diet. So…" she trailed off, turning scarlet. "Look Sakura. If you want to be a ninja, you have to eat. If you faint or get weak from the lack of food while on a mission, you not only put the mission in jeopardy, but also your life and your team mates'. Besides, you'll burn off the extra fats and calories during training and missions so there is nothing wrong in eating." 'Naruto' lectured.

Sakura looked over at her love interest who nodded stoically, agreeing with what 'Naruto' had just said. Taking their advice, she ordered a bowl of chicken ramen. The three got to know each other through that meal, forging a bond between the three that would be strengthened with the trials that awaited them. After finishing their lunch, they walked leisurely over to the academy and entered their classroom and resumed their wait for their wayward sensei.

Kakashi strolled down the halls of the academy after spending his time mourning at the Memorial Stone. His heart still ached whenever he was reminded of them. He could never truly move on, distracting himself with his perverted books and missions. This was the same as every other team he had tested, they would fail and he would go back to his missions, mourning and porn books.

Only, this time, the last loyal Uchiha had to be factored into the equation. Although he was only a Genin, the reports stated that he was already a prodigy on his way to greatness. The other boy was also a potential force to be reckoned with in the future because, if the reports were correct, he, a mere academy student, had defeated a Chunin in an all out battle, no holds barred. The female, although originating from a civilian family, had incredible chakra control, vast knowledge and passable taijutsu skills. This team showed promise.

'They might just make it' mused Kakashi as he poked his head through the door and nearly had a heart attack. Sitting behind the desk was, at first glance, his sensei. He stood, stupefied, before shaking his head and looking again, telling himself over and over that his sensei was dead and would not be coming back, no matter how much he wanted it to happen. He opened his eyes to see his three new charges staring at him and registered the awkwardness of the situation. He did a sweep of the classroom and saw a blond child that had most likely been the 'apparition' of his sensei that he saw.

The three newly minted Genin were chatting about how their new sensei might look like when the door creaked open. They directed their attention to the door and saw a man with gravity defying silver hair staring wide eyed at them, looking as if he'd seen a ghost. The man at the door then proceeded to shake his head like a dog shaking water out of its fur before glancing around the room and back at them.

They simply stared.

"Meet me on the roof" the man said lazily before using shunshin to transport himself onto the roof. The three then got up and made their way to the roof, speculating what the man would teach them and why he told them to meet on the roof. Their sensei was already on the roof by the time they arrived and was standing by the railing staring out at the village as he waited for them to settle down. "Okay you guys. Introduce yourselves. Tell us your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies and dreams." He drawled.

"Um sensei, why don't you go first so we know how it's done?" Sakura inquired. "Okay. My name is Hatake Kakashi. My likes… I like a lot of things. My dislikes… I dislike some things. My hobbies… I have lots of hobbies and my dreams are none of your concern" he stated good-naturedly.

"But sensei, all we learned was your name!" Sakura protested.

"Is that so…" Kakashi trailed off.

"Anyways, my name is Sakura. My likes are my friends and…" she glanced at Sasuke. "I dislike Ino pig, my hobbies are studying, reading and…" she trailed off, glancing at her love interest once again. "My dream is…" she looked lovingly at her crush, eliciting an eye roll from the target of her gaze.

The Uchiha of the group took the initiative to go next. "My name is Sasuke. My likes are my comrades and very few other things. I have many dislikes. My hobbies are training, learning new jutsu and sometimes hanging out with my friends. My dream, no, ambition, is to kill a certain man."

"My name is Naruto. I like my comrades and ramen. I dislike people who hurt my comrades, traitors and the three minutes it takes for the ramen to cook. My hobbies are training and eating ramen. My dream for the future is to be Hokage." He said calmly. 'Not the ball of energy I expected. There is still hope for this team yet, but they still have to pass my test. I shouldn't get my hopes up but this team just might pass.' Kakashi speculated.

"Alright. Meet me at 7am in Training Ground 7 for a survival test," the silver haired man announced.

"But sensei, we already took the test and passed. We weren't informed of a second test." Sakura said.

"Well, there is another test. You guys are technically not Genin yet and to become one, you have to pass my test. But be warned, there's a 66.6% failure rate. Oh, and I advise you not to eat breakfast if you don't want to puke. Don't be late." Kakashi departed in a swirl of leaves.

Remembering himself giving this test to his Genin team, Minato warned his team mates "Have breakfast tomorrow. Not a big one, but just eat enough to fill your stomach. Oh and come an hour later than the time he stated. We'll discuss battle strategies in the extra one hour."

"But sensei said not to eat and we'll be late if we do what you want us to." Sakura interjected.

"Don't you trust me?" Minato whimpered, pulling the 'Puppy Dog Eyes' to get her to comply.

"Okay, but if we lose our chance to become Genin, it will be all your fault" Sakura sighed, unable to resist the Puppy Dog Eyes.

"Thanks Sakura-chan!" Minato chirped, mentally rolling his eyes for having to resort to such degrading tricks for the sake of his team. They parted ways from the academy, Sakura heading home, Sasuke making a beeline towards the training grounds in the Uchiha compound and Minato dashing across the village to scout out Training Ground 7 and to train there as well as familiarise himself with the layout of the grounds. All three of them taking their first step down the path to becoming Team 7.

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. My sis was hogging the computer. By the way, I think that the training ground Team 7 used in the anime/manga was training ground 3 but I'm not otaku enough to change what so many other fanfic authors pen down. I think this story is going to be very disjointed so correct any mistakes you see please. It will help me improve the story. And could you… um… sorta like review?**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Having a cold. Might not update in a while. **

**Rinnala- Thanks for saying (or typing) that. The exams have gone and left me with terrible marks so that really cheered me up. Hakuna Matata. **

Chapter 6: Genin Test

Minato was standing by the stove, staring at the contents swirling in his pot. He sighed, wondering how he had suddenly developed such an intense craving for ramen. It was one of Kushina's quirks, not his. 'Must be because of Naruto' Minato thought as he emptied the contents of the pot into a bowl. He sat down at the table and said "Itadakimasu" before bringing the steaming hot noodles to his mouth and slurping it down.

It was past 7 am by the time he had finished his meal and set off towards Training Ground 7 to meet up with his team. He left via the door and strolled through the streets, admiring the hustle and bustle of Konoha as people went about their business. Not long after, he turned off the streets to a more forested area and proceeded to make his way towards the rendezvous point. Upon arriving, he saw his two team mates already there, milling about, waiting for him to arrive. He ran up to them and they exchanged greetings.

"Okay. Let's discuss battle tactics. We're going up against a Jounin here. He's way beyond our level so we'll have to work together if we have to fight him." Minato started.

"What makes you think that we'll have to fight him?" Sakura asked, thinking that even though their blonde team mate was right on two separate occasions about their new sensei, he had no way of knowing what he would test them on.

"If I'm wrong, we'll just wing it," Minato said, knowing what Kakashi was going to be doing for the test. "Anyway, we'll…" Minato and the rest of Team 7 discussed battle formations and plans, Minato knowing where they could hide, ambush, etc. due to his having scouted the area the night before. By the time Kakashi arrived, which was 2 hours later, they already had a strategy.

"Alright. The test is to get theses bells," Kakashi held up two silver bells that sparkled in the sunlight, "from me by noon, which is when this alarm clock," he shook a bright red alarm clock in his other hand, "will ring. The one that doesn't get a bell by the end will be tied up to this stump," he patted one of the three stumps embedded in the ground, " and will watch as his team mates eat their lunch in front of him. Oh, and he'll also be sent back to the academy." Explained the silver haired man.

Minato glanced at his two team mates who were shifting uncomfortably, most likely debating whether or not to go on with the plan. Minato sighed as his old student gave the signal to start the test and yanked his team mates into the brush for an emergency meeting. "Look, don't let him get to you. He just wants us to go against each other and fail. Have you forgotten what we discussed? We can't get the bells from him by ourselves. We'll work together to get the bells _then_ decide who it goes to. Stick to the plan." Minato disappeared after the little pep talk, leaving his two team mates to ponder what he had just said.

Elsewhere, Iruka was debating with the Hokage about the team placements. "But was it really a good idea to put M- I mean Naruto on Kakashi's team? I've heard of his reputation of being late and lazy." Iruka stressed, hoping that the Hokage would change his mind and put a certain chibi Hokage on someone else's team.

"That's not all that he's infamous for. Here." The Hokage sighed as he handed the records of the teams over the years to Iruka.

"Oh God! He's never passed a single team!" Iruka marvelled, fearing for his ex-student.

"I put him there for a reason, Iruka. There is nothing you can say to make me change my mind." The old Hokage said, trying to hide the fact that he wanted Kakashi to train his sensei's son, with a vague answer.

Kakashi watched as the three potential Genin disappeared into the forest. 'Very good,' he thought. 'But not good enough,' he mused as he sensed the blond one rushing towards him.

Minato exploded out of the forest and engaged Kakashi in taijutsu, trading blows with quick succession when he felt Sasuke rushing towards them. 'Good. Their still going according to plan' he thought, happy that they had faith in his judgement. Sasuke emerged from the canopy, dropping down opposite Minato, failing to make his heel drop connect. They attacked Kakashi from both sides, Kakashi dancing around their attacks as if it were child's play.

"Is that all the rookie of the year can do?" Kakashi taunted as he dodged their attacks. All of a sudden, he felt a shift in the wind and moved away from it, a kunai barely missing the string that held the bells. He was about to go back into the fray when he felt the weight at his hip vanish. He looked to the side to see 'Naruto' holding up the bells, a triumphant look on his face. 'I didn't even sense the attack. Just how much is he holding back?' wondered Kakashi as the third member of the team walked over to their little group. "Now then, Naruto, who do you want to give the other bell to?" Kakashi asked, hoping that he would understand what the test was about. Minato wordlessly tossed both bells over to his two team mates who caught them in turn.

"But Naruto, you came up with the plan, you should get to pass" Sakura said.

"Relax. What's another year? Who knows, I might be rookie of the year this time around.' 'Naruto' replied light-heartedly.

Sasuke tossed his bell over to his blond team mate saying "Idiot. I'll go back to the academy. I'm sure I'll be out of there before the year ends."

Sakura hurled her bell over to Sasuke "I'm the weakest of the three of us. Sasuke-kun, you still have to accomplish your goal and Naruto, you have a position to take. I don't have any particular aspirations so _I'll_ stay back another year." She said sombrely.

"But-" Minato started again before being interrupted by their would-be sensei

"Okay! Stop! You three pass."

"The key to this test was team work wasn't it?" Sasuke said quietly.

"That's correct. To us ninja, rules are everything and those who break the rules are trash. But a great man once told me that those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their team mates are worse than trash." He concluded, hurt and pride gleaming in his eyes. 'He's thinking about us. About the old Team 7." Minato realised. "Meet me at the bridge at 7am tomorrow; we'll start taking missions then. Rest well tonight." He said, pride evident in his voice.

The newly appointed Team 7 cheered with joy with the exception of Sasuke who showed his elation by allowing a smirk to grace his lips. The three of them celebrated by going out for lunch together, ending up at Ichiraku's due to a certain blond's Puppy Dog Eyes. Despite the location not being very classy, there was nothing that could spoil their mood because from that day forth, they were officially Genin and officially Team 7. Minato glanced over at his team mates chatting while their noodles turned cold and smirked, aware of their ignorance of the dreaded D-class missions.

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short. I'm having a headache and there's not much to write about the test. I think I got Kakashi's motto wrong so please correct me. I know that I could have elaborated on the fight scenes but I'm not sure I'm very good at that. Please take the time to review even if it's only one word. Thank you. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry. Late update (I think) and I passed my exams (barely) but whatever. Hakuna Matata (and work harder).**

**dch448- well yes Sakura was the one who threw the kunai because logically, you can't throw a kunai aimed at the bells from the side while engaging a Jounin in taijutsu if you're an academy student. Oh and you have to remember I was having a headache. I couldn't think straight so it was a miracle I managed to type anything at all. (I don't do well with headaches.) **

**Thanks for reviewing! My heart always skips a beat when I see that I received a review. It makes me so happy! **

Chapter 7: Suspicions about Naruto

"Kiiro in position" a voice whispered into the headset.

"Kuro in position" the headset crackled to life.

"Momoiro in position" the message interrupted by short bursts of static.

"Shiro here. Target in position. Move out!" was communicated to all three squad members and they reacted immediately, dashing out of the dense forest and towards their target, which had taken up residence in the middle of a wooded clearing.

The three members of Team 7 dog-piled on top of Tora, fighting valiantly against the demon cat, trying to capture alive. After a brief struggle with Kakashi watching from the sidelines, Minato managed to grab it by the nape of its neck and held it away from him as if it were a poisonous spider. Tora clawed desperately at the air, trying to get away before Minato had had enough and struck a pressure point in the cat's neck and the cat froze up before hanging limply in Minato's grip.

"If I have to catch this damn cat again I am going to kill it!" he shouted, emphasizing his point by shaking the limp cat in his grasp.

"Now now Naruto, no killing the pet of the Fire Daimyo's wife okay? Let's just report back to Hokage-sama. Though sometimes I do wonder why I passed you all in the first place." Kakashi drawled.

"That's because we got the bells from you remember?" Sakura piped up.

"_That's_ only because I underestimated you guys." Their sensei said with an air of nonchalance.

"You know better than anyone that underestimating people can be fatal though."

"Touché"

"Let's just report to Hokage-sama. This debate is pointless." Sasuke deadpanned.

"I agree." Minato chimed in, jabbing at the pressure point on the cat again when he felt it rousing. He leapt ahead of the rest of his team, the others following closely behind.

"Psst… Sakura." Sasuke said in an attempt to get the attention of his female team mate.

"What is it Sasuke-kun?" she replied while dodging a branch that threatened to smack her in the face.

"Don't you find it strange that Naruto knew so much about our new sensei? I mean, I doubt he's seen him before. He even knew that our Kakashi-sensei would be two to three hours late. He also knew what the bell test was all about. On top of that, he still managed to grab the bells from Kakashi-sensei. Even though he let his guard down, Kakashi-sensei is still a Jounin and should have sensed it so how is it that Naruto managed to snatch the bells from him?" Sasuke whispered once the blond was out of an earshot.

"You're right Sasuke-kun. Who is he really, what is he capable of and why is he posing as our team mate? What do you propose we do?" Sakura asked wincing as the sunlight assaulted her eyes upon exiting the thick forest.

"Let's follow him after debriefing and see where he goes." Sasuke concluded. Sakura nodded her assent and broke off their conversation just as they arrived at the front of the Hokage tower. They entered and strolled soundlessly through the corridors before arriving at a particular door and entering.

The sight that greeted them was rather awkward. There was a little boy sprawled on the floor I front of the Hokage's desk, a Tokubetsu Jounin standing behind the boy in sunglasses was fussing about the boy, looking like a chicken with its head cut off. The Hokage just sighed and invited them in. Minato plopped the limp cat onto the Hokage's table and turned to face the boy on the floor who was now struggling to right himself.

"Konohamaru, what the hell? Last time I saw you, you were in the same position. What happened to training hard to become the Hokage?"

"Mysterious Onii-san!" the now identified Konohamaru cried while nursing the bump on his forehead.

"Mysterious Onii-san?" everyone in the room chorused save for the Hokage and the Tokubetsu Jounin.

"Yeah! He's rather mysterious, going off all alone after dark. Maybe he's a vampire!" Konohamaru blurted excitedly, jumping into Minato's arms.

"Konohamaru, you know that makes no sense." The Hokage sighed, saying what was on everyone's minds.

Just then the Fire Daimyo's wife ambled in, smiling happily as she pulled Tora into her arms and proceeded to squeeze the life out of it. Tora woke up instantaneously and flailed around, trying desperately to escape its owner. 'That's right! Squeeze harder lady, harder! Squeeze that demon to death!' Minato thought evilly, not happy with having to relive his Gennin days and catch Tora all over again on top of doing chores for the villagers under the title of a D-rank mission. He was much happier overseeing them or assigning them.

When the Fire Daimyo's wife left, Minato groaned in disappointment that the demon cat was still alive and kicking. No one realised that Konohamaru had taken 'Naruto's' headband from his neck and tried it on, leaving the choker exposed. "Hey!" Minato shouted and grabbed the headband back, Konohamaru spilling from his arms and landing on the floor feet first. Minato hastily retied the headband as Konohamaru ran out of the room, cackling like a madman, the Tokubetsu Jounin trailing after the boy.

"What a handful." The Hokage commented. "Anyway, mission report!" he barked. Kakashi gave a short, summarised report and they were dismissed for the day. The sun was already setting as it disappeared beyond the horizon, drenching everything in an orange and gold hue. Sasuke and Sakura trailed behind their blond team mate, whispering to each other.

"Did you see the pendant on his choker just now? I could've sworn it was Yondaime-sama's signature weapon but that can't be right," Sakura mumbled as they walked down the corridors towards the exit.

"You're right. Makes him all the more suspicious." Sasuke replied in a hushed tone as they neared the exit.

Minato was in a foul mood. First, they had been assigned a mission to catch Tora, then, Tora had survived the 'Hug of Death' and lastly, Konohamaru had had the gall to take his headband like that. He decided to vent some frustration on the monstrosities in the Forest of Death. He let his feet take him towards the training grounds as he reminisced the time he met Konohamaru.

*Flashback*

_It was the day the identification photos were being taken and also the day after Minato had decapitated Mizuki. Minato had just taken the photo when he had been summoned by the Hokage. "Naruto, I understand that you had your first kill yesterday so if there is anything you need to tell me, just let it out." Sarutobi said, concerned for the boy that was his grandchild in all but blood. _

_"It's okay, I can deal with it," Minato said calmly, knowing that Hiruzen must have heard about it from Iruka. _

_"Well, if you're sure-" he was interrupted by a little boy bursting in shouting that he was going to defeat his grandfather at last or something or other. A man in sunglasses and a bandanna covering his head entered the room, fussing over the boy who had just tripped over and fallen flat on the ground, face first. _

_The boy sat up and noticed Minato sitting in the chair opposite the Hokage and shouted, "You! You were the one who tripped me!" a whine hiding just beneath the surface of the boy's bold proclamation. _

_Minato sighed tiredly, asking him "What do you want to kill Hokage-sama for?" irritation lacing his words. _

_"Don't speak to the Hokage's grandson like that!" the man in the shades, who was clearly a Tokubetsu Jounin, said, words dripping with disdain. Clearly he, too, held great dislike for the Jinchuuriki. 'Now he'll start apologising and kissing up to me just like the rest of them.' Konohamaru thought with satisfaction and yet with a hint of sadness. _

_"I honestly don't care so, answer me. Why do you want to attack Hokage-sama?" Minato asked nonchalantly. This stunned Konohamaru because this person had treated him differently from everybody else, but in a good way. _

_He shook himself out of his stupor and shouted excitedly, "To defeat him so I can become Hokage!" Minato scoffed at first then outright laughed. "What's so funny?" Konohamaru shouted indignantly, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. _

_"Well if that's so then you have a long way to go! I would suggest that you train more and I seriously doubt your sensei's teaching methods if he put the idea in your head that you could possibly defeat Hokage-sama now!" Minato said between barks of laughter. _

_"You should learn not to insult your betters Gennin! I am providing him a shortcut to becoming Hokage." The Tokubetsu Jounin spat. _

_The temperature in the room dropped several degrees as Minato turned on Konohamaru's sensei, a fire burning in his eyes "There is no 'shortcut' to becoming Hokage. All of them have earned the position with hard work, experience and for their skill and perseverance. They have all slowly worked their way to the top and have constantly pushed themselves to the limit to get stronger to protect this village, so don't think that there is a short and easy way without pain and sacrifice because there isn't!" He turned and left the room, leaving a stunned Tokubetsu Jounnin and a very drained Hokage. _

_"Ebisu, where's Konohamaru?" Sarutobi asked, noticing Konohamaru's absence. _

_The now identified Ebisu snapped out of his stupor and went out to search for his charge, his last words floating in the air as he left "He must have followed that no good brat." The Hokage returned to his paper work, suddenly feeling about a hundred years old. _

_Minato was walking towards Training Ground 3 when he felt the presence of the boy, Konohamaru was it?, from the office. He turned around and called out "Konohamaru, I know you're there." The fence rippled before revealing that the boy was indeed there. Minato turned and continued towards the training grounds but Konohamaru jogged after him, following him to the training grounds. "Why are you following me?" Minato asked exasperatedly. _

_"I want you to teach me! Then I can become Hokage!" the boy trilled. _

_"No, I can't do that but your current teacher can, and didn't you hear what I said in the office, there is no short cut to becoming the Hokage." The boy deflated significantly after hearing this. _

_"Come on, I'll even call you boss." The boy pleaded. _

_"That sounds stupid" Minato brushed him off. _

_"Pleeeeaaaasssseeee!" the boy let loose a long, drawn out, full on whine. _

_"Alright… But only one technique." Minato caved. _

_"YES!" the boy did a little victory dance. _

_"So, what do you want to learn exactly?" Minato asked, curious. _

_"I want to learn a technique that can defeat the old man!" Konohamaru shouted. _

_"I don't know any techniques that can do that… There is one but it's very unorthodox." Minato speculated. _

_"Ooh what is it? Teach me! Teach me!" Konohamaru danced circles around the older boy. _

_"Okay. It's called Oiroke no Jutsu." Minato said, reminded of the sudden love for pranks in his new body. He pulled them occasionally but no one seemed to be able to catch him at all, which was weird. 'They seriously need to beef up security around here.' Minato thought as he showed the hand signs to Konohamaru. A cloud of smoke erupted and when it cleared, standing in Minato's place, was a busty blonde lady, about Minato's age when he was in his old body. _

_She had sunshine blonde hair falling limply around her, drenched, drops of water glistening on her naked body. Her plump, glossy pink lips were parted as thin clouds of smoke wafted to cover her genitals, giving people a fleeting glance before taking it away and dangling it before their noses. Konohamaru stared wide-eyed before Minato changed back in a puff of smoke, causing Konohamaru to come back from lala land and shouting "Whoa boss! That was incredible! Teach it to me!" _

_"Firstly, don't call me boss. It makes me feel old, which I am not. Secondly, I promised to teach it to you didn't I? But **you** have to promise me that after this, you'll work hard to reach your goal." Minato said, bending down to stare Konohamaru in the eye. _

_"Alright b- I mean Onii-san! Now teach me!" he shouted, hardly containing his excitement. Minato sighed and showed him the hand signs, guiding him along the way, constantly asking himself why he even invented such a stupid technique, let alone teach it to a kid. _

_Meanwhile, Ebisu had given up looking for his wayward charge and settled for waiting at their usual training ground, determined to punish him if he was late. He settled down on the grass and pulled out a small orange book, the title cover screaming 'Icha Icha Paradise'. He opened the book and proceeded to read it, giggling perversely every few seconds. _

_Afternoon was melting into evening by the time Konohamaru managed to nail down the technique. "Oh crap! I'm gonna be late!" Konohamaru shouted, dreading the punishment his tutor was going to mete out if he was late getting to the training grounds. _

_"For what?" Minato asked, curious as to why Konohamaru looked so frantic. _

_"I have to get to Training Ground 5 before 6 or Ebisu sensei is going to kill me!" Konohamaru yelled getting up from the log they were just sitting on. _

_"It can't be that bad. What's the worst that could happen?" Minato said, sure that the boy was overreacting. _

_"Oh it's bad. He'll XXX and XXX then he'll XXX and make me XXX" Konohamaru said, shuddering involuntarily. (I'll leave it to your imagination nyan because I lack in that department…) Minato stared at the boy, stunned, wondering how he was still sane after going through that kind of punishment. (I know I'm being over the top but I need a base, so… yeah…) 'Ohmygod! That is horrible! I think I placed a Hiraishin seal there once before. I'll just take this opportunity to test out something.' Minato thought, grabbing Konohamaru by the arm. _

_"I'll get you there, so just hold on to me and close your eyes," he voiced to the younger boy. _

_Konhamaru nodded and did as he was told. He grabbed onto his 'Onii-san' and squeezed his eyes shut. He felt his Onii-san's grip tighten around his arm and felt a tugging sensation that lasted only for a few seconds. "You can open your eyes, Konohamaru." His Onii-san said softly. He opened his eyes and blinked as he found himself in a totally different location. He was in Training Ground 5 and his Onii-san had disappeared. 'Maybe Onii-san's a vampire! That's so cool!' Konohamaru mused. He then noticed his sensei sitting in the clearing and decided to test out the jutsu he had learned from his Onii-san. With a silent poof of smoke he had transformed into a brunette replica of 'Naruto's' Oiroke no jutsu and sashayed up to his sensei. He eased himself next to his sensei and started moaning softly into his ear. _

_Ebisu was sitting in the clearing, so completely and utterly absorbed in his porn that he didn't sense his student approaching him, let alone the spike in his chakra. As he was getting to the climax of the sex scene in the novel between the protagonist, Shin and his brunette lover, Nana, warm breaths tickled his ear as erotic moans were unleashed next to his ear. He turned and saw a dripping wet and naked brunette and shouted "Nana?" before a geyser of blood shot out from his nose and propelled him backwards, knocking him out on a tree. _

_Minato watched from the shadows as Konohamaru turned back in a cloud of white smoke and laughed his ass off, rolling on the floor and pounding his fists on the ground after having doubled over and fallen onto the ground. Minato smiled, having gotten his payback against the closet pervert tutor in a roundabout way, before vanishing, leaving a swirl of leaves in his wake. _

_*Flashback end*_

Snapping out of his reverie, Minato noticed that he had arrived before the chain-link fence of Training Ground 44. Sensing his team mates, he turned around before deciding against it and entering, sure that the ginormous sign outside that screamed 'DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT CLEARANCE! HIGHLY DANGEROUS! MONSTROUS ANIMALS INSIDE WILL EAT YOU IF FIRST TWO WARNINGS ARE NOT OBEYED' would be enough to deter them. Ripping off the hideous orange jumpsuit he always wore in public, he sealed them into a scroll, having learnt his lesson, before disappearing through the gates.

Sasuke and Sakura had trailed him throughout the village, whispering among themselves, wondering where their blond team mate was headed. He finally stopped outside a chain-link fence and stripped, which elicited a blush from Sakura, who looked away, thinking that he was going to enter nude. Sasuke spun her around and prised her hands off her eyes to reveal that 'Naruto' had clothes underneath his jumpsuit. Sakura sighed with relief before following Sasuke into the forest, the latter having already gone into the forest. Neither noticed the giant signboard outside in their single-minded goal of finding out what their blond team mate was doing.

Minato had just slain a giant rabbit THING that looked to be the size of a house when he felt something enter the forest. Convinced that that something was his team mates, he used Hiraishin to get to them before they could manage to get themselves killed, forgetting that he was in his original form.

"AAAAHHHH HEEELLLPPP! WHAT PSYCHOPATH COMES TO THIS SORT OF PLACE?" Sakura screamed as she and Sasuke ran for their lives from a giant tiger-like…MONSTER! With FOUR FRICKIN' EYES! Well, she was solely running, Sasuke kept twisting around to throw kunai at the monster but only succeeded in making it angrier as the kunai lodged in the coat of the monster. They had just set foot in the forest when the beast just appeared from out of nowhere, snarling and drooling, and started chasing after them.

Adrenaline kept them going but fatigue was slowly winning over. They burst into a clearing, the beast tearing after them, causing the trees to explode outwards. Sakura ran onwards, screaming as hard as she could when a flash of yellow sparked in front of them, stopping them in their tracks. "Naruto!" she shouted partly in relief and partly in surprise.

Only then did she notice that there was something wrong. He was significantly taller than them and he looked older. Although his hair was still blonde, his clothes were still the same but had been coated in blood at some time and his eyes were still a soulful cerulean, but the most obvious difference was the lack of whisker marks on his cheeks. They were unmarked and unblemished. "Yondaime-sama" Sakura breathed. Sasuke glared at the new arrival, unsure of where to put himself. Between the monster and Sakura or between the Yondaime look-alike and Sakura. Either way he had to protect his team mate.

Minato cursed inwardly, how could he have been so careless? First Iruka and now his team mates. He ignored Sakura's question and unsealed his tanto from the tattoo at his hip and beheaded the beast threatening his team mates faster than the untrained eye could see. Crimson blood erupted from its wound and drenched Minato in the fluid, the head on the floor still set in an expression of rage, not quick enough to process what had just happened to it when it died. Minato turned away from the corpse of the beast and walked towards his team mates who were dry heaving at the sight. He knocked them out with a swift chop to their necks and shunshin'd out of the forest, his training interrupted.

He flitted soundlessly across the rooftops, speeding towards Sakura's house before depositing the latter in her bed, careful not to leave blood stains on anything while doing so. He placed a Hiraishin seal with an illusion overlay on her thigh as a safeguard if she were to get into trouble again before taking out a small device with what looked like a duck's head on the top and pressing a button just as Sakura was waking up. A muffled "Aaahh" rang out as Minato covered Sakura's mouth and allowed her to sag in his arms before laying her back in bed once again. He disappeared in a swirl of leaves as he headed towards the Uchiha compound.

Sasuke felt like his head was about to split open as he groggily opened his eyes. He could feel something cold dancing swiftly over the skin on his arm. It was a pleasant feeling, like a summer breeze. Then he noticed a blurred image of yellow, red and black all melting into each other. The image slowly sharpened and he saw 'Naruto' labouring over his arm, a pot of ink at his side and an ink brush in his hand. "What-" he murmured before his blond team mate shoved a tube with a duck's head on it straight into his face and pressed a button, causing an explosion as the duck's head hit his face and he passed out, but not after crying out in surprise.

Minato had just finished the seal and was adding chakra in it to make sure it could not be washed off when his team mate woke up. He hastily pulled out the Kiokuchikan once again. Once Sasuke was unconscious again, he left the compound for his own home, thinking, 'Damn the randomness of the memory replacer! I wish I could choose what memories they get.' He entered his apartment through the window, peeling the blood encrusted training clothes from his body and throwing them into the wash.

He padded over to the bathroom for a shower, deciding that there was no point in him going back to the forest that day. As he stepped into the shower, he felt the drops of water rushing up to greet him and cleansing his body. He stood in the shower, turning over the events of that day in his mind, wishing that he could turn back time and bring his Kiokuchikan with him and prevent Iruka from learning his secret. Sadly, he had only just bought the memory replacer and time travel was out of his reach.

He stepped out of the shower, watching droplets of water slid down his body and pooled around his feet. Rivulets of water dripped from his forehead and into his eyes, forcing him to blink. He opened his eyes and pulled the towel off the rack, glancing at the foggy reflection in the mirror. He dried himself off and pulled on his pyjamas before stepping out of the bathroom. He flopped down into bed, letting the excess moisture in his still damp hair seep into his pillow. As he drifted off, he hoped that the replaced memories would not be too ridiculous and 'I hope that jiji would be willing to give us a C-ranker. I swear if I don't get a mission that's more interesting than a doorknob, I'll go berserk.' Was the last thought that flitted through his head before wandering into the arms of Morpheus.

**A/N: Happy Deepavali! And Happy Halloween! For those who actually celebrate it! Halloween seems so fun! It's so sad we don't practise Trick or Treating (at least I don't think we do) in Singapore. My way of celebrating my recovery and these Holidays is a longer chapter! (It's not that long though… haha) If you're wondering why Konohamaru's hiding skills are better than in canon, it's because it breaks my heart seeing that he is used for comic relief too. He can be bratty but he's like Naruto and is a 'genius of hard work' of sorts so, I think that his stealth skills at least shouldn't be so shoddy. Bleach fans should know what a Kiokuchikan is. If you still can't place it, it's the thing Rukia used to replace Tatsuki and Orihime's memories after Hollow-Sora's attack. Oh yeah... very late poll but anyways...**

**Poll:**

**HAKU**

**1) Haku should live**

**2) Haku should die**

**3) Haku should remain a male**

**4) Haku should be female**

**If Haku lives...**

**5) Haku should go back to Konoha with Team 7**

**If Haku lives and is female...**

**5) Haku should fall in love with Minato**

**6) Haku should be grateful of whomever her saviour is and yet hate someone on the team (if so tell me who her saviour is and who she hates. They can both be the same person as well.) **

**7) Haku should be grateful of whomever her saviour is and falls in love with him and yet hates someone on the team**

**8) Haku should fall in love with Sasuke**

**If Haku lives and is male...**

**9) Haku should fall in love with Sakura**

**10) Haku should fall in love with Sakura and yet hates someone on the team**

** ZABUZA**

**11) Zabuza should live **

**12) Zabuza should die**

**If Zabuza lives...**

**13) Zabuza should go back to Konoha with Team 7**

**14) Zabuza parts ways with Team 7**

**If Zabuza goes back to Konoha with Team 7...**

**15) Zabuza falls in love with a Konoha Shinobi (pick one if so)**

**BOTH HAKU AND ZABUZA LIVE**

**16) Both go back to Konoha with Tewam 7**

**17) Both part ways with team 7**

**18) Both are grateful to (choose someone) and work for him/her**

**PM or review your choices by putting the numbers you see before each option(you can choose more than one). If no one answers the poll, I will simply go with how I want the events to unfold. Please review. Thank you for your support. **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Arrrghhh! It was raining. I slipped and fell. In public. Again! I have half a mind to force the characters to suffer my accident-proneness. It sucks! But anyway, I'll just carry on with the story. Sorry.**

**Cyn Vicente: Have you been around someone and their personality just rubs off on you over time? I guess it's kinda like that… I'm really happy that you want to hear my version. Thanks!**

**Chiri-tan: Whoa, chill. Please don't cuss. It would be nice if Haku and Zabuza fell in love with each other, yes. But I was thinking 'What about the age difference. Zabuza is like… so much older than Haku.' Love blooming between them would probably be more father and daughter kind of relationship. Being lovers would be really… awkward… Not that I'm trying to be rude. I respect your opinion since I don't really have ideas of my own. ;)**

**BTB: Thank you for the compliment (is it?) about my command of the English language. I kinda mentioned (did I?) in the A/N that in my story, Kushina-san isn't a Jinchuuriki. I know that she is but… Anyways, a list of commonly misused homophones would be nice. If you could, please PM me the list or something. And, well, my ethnic group is Chinese so I guess Mandarin Chinese is my native language… Hinata seems more confident because she reminds me of myself and my friends are always telling me to be more confident. I think Hinata should too so… And she confessed her love in the end didn't she? Oh well… And it's not Memory Erase, it's Memory Replacement. You'll see what I mean by that and randomness. **

**Crypton89: I agree completely. But it would be nice if they lived and went back to Konoha. Actually I planned on sending them on a mission before the whole Wave incident and let Haku and Zabuza live but I guess not.**

**MadxHatter: Yes it would be wouldn't it? I guess thinking up hilarious things is your job as Mad Hatter. **

**JP Gosick: Oh my God! I'm so sorry, but I know only two languages, English and Chinese so I'm really sorry because I have absolutely no idea what you said (typed). dch448: I'm sorry. You didn't really come off as rude. I was actually really happy that you reviewed! So I thank you.**

**WolfCoyote: Goodness! That's just asking too much! You know, the duck-headed device can't make people forget their hatred. I don't mean this in a bad way. I find your peace-seeking ways a redeeming quality I guess… I don't think Minato would hook up with anyone other than Kushina. Oh well… **

Chapter 8: Beginning

"A marshmallow totally came and ate the monkey," a feminine voice insisted. "No, it was the mommy meat bun that ate the monkey" a male voice contradicted. Minato's eyebrow twitched, watching his two team mates battle it out. They were debating the events of the previous night and true to his fears, the Memory Replacer had given them really random memories that made absolutely no sense.

Yet, his team mates seemed to believe it had happened. They seemed to think that they had gone hiking in the woods where they encountered a talking meat bun. They recalled that a monkey swung down from the trees and ate the meat bun and from there, they both had different recollections. Sakura thought that a marshmallow ate the monkey, god knows why and Sasuke reckoned the meat bun's mother ate the monkey for revenge. Both were absolutely impossible.

Minato sighed, falling back onto the grass in the training ground, letting his feet fly into the air before feeling them connect with the ground as well. He lifted a hand up to his eyes, shielding them from the harsh rays of the sun as he gazed at the serene sky, the clouds like cotton candy running into the cerulean of the sky as a messenger hawk flew across his vision, screeching as it soared away.

'This carelessness really isn't like me. I really have to buck up. I can't let them know who I really am.' He closed his eyes to a half-mast before sensing their sensei approaching them and flipped to his feet, watching as his team mates came back into view, still bickering over that little thing. "How can a meat bun even give birth it's not even a living thing…" Sakura's voice came drifting in the wind, assaulting Minato's ears as their sensei appeared, walking over to them.

"So, what's got their panties in a bunch?" Kakashi asked as he approached Minato for answers about his other two charges' little debate.

"Beats me. I think their currently discussing the birthing process of a meat bun." Minato said, not taking his eyes off the squabbling duo.

"Really now." Kakashi said, not believing something so preposterous.

"No wait. I think they've switched to discussing how meat buns are made." Minato corrected, listening to the progress of his team mates' Kiokuchikan-induced debate.

"You mean like stuffing meat into a-" Kakashi was cut off when Sakura groaned in frustration screaming "You don't even know how meat buns are made!"

"I do! When a guy bun and a girl bun love each other very much…" Sasuke retorted.

"How did this happen?" Kakashi asked, eye muscles twitching up a storm.

"How should I know? I suggest you try and get their attention so we can go and take on a mission." Minato feigned ignorance as he casually placed his suggestion.

"Good idea. Ah-hem!" Kakashi cleared his throat to get their attention.

"No no no! That's not it!" told him that he'd failed in his attempt.

"Ay-Hermh!" Kakashi shouted, but producing no results. Minato had had enough. He didn't know where the impulse came from, but pulled out a scrap of paper and created what would've been an equivalent of an explosive tag with significantly less lethal explosive power. He wrapped the tag around an ordinary kunai and released it with pin point accuracy.

It embedded itself in the ground at the duo's feet and detonated, creating a large plume of smoke and a tiny spark of fire that could be seen burning within it. Kakashi looked on wide-eyed before turning to face his charge. He couldn't believe that the blond would do such a thing. He proceeded to berate his charge, anger flashing in his eyes, set on forcing the blond to drop the programme for killing his own team mates just because they irritated him.

Suddenly two figures emerged from the smoke, coughing and covered in soot but relatively unharmed. As they got closer, Kakashi could make out the disgruntled faces of Sasuke and Sakura. He rounded on 'Naruto', noticing the brush, its tip black and moist with fresh ink. "You made that explosive tag?" Kakashi asked, amazed.

"It's not that big a deal. I just read about how to make a watered down version since I can't do a full one so I was sure that it wouldn't hurt them." 'Naruto' said innocently, holding out a small black book. Kakashi took it out of his student's hand s and skimmed through it, noting that it did indeed teach elementary sealing methods and watered down versions of the originals.

"Why the interest in sealing?" Kakashi questioned, handing the book back to his blond charge.

"Jiji told me about you-know-what and that a seal is all that's stopping it from escaping so I thought it'd be cool to learn how to do that." 'Naruto' declared.

"Seems reasonable, but I am disappointed in you for using that against your team mates, even if it is weaker. There was no guarantee that they would not have been hurt. Let them get cleaned up and we'll go get a mission from the Hokage." Kakashi said, his anger beginning to evaporate. Minato nodded and bounded towards the grass patch under the tree he'd laid claim to and sat down, opening his book but not really seeing what was on the page. Instead, he was thinking about the impulse he had had. Being reckless and brash was Kushina's personality, not his. He'd have to rein in his impulses from now on or risk exposing himself. Deactivating the illusory seal on his book, he focused his thoughts on the contents of the book as well as sensing the people in the area as he studied the complex seal arrays in the book.

Sasuke was having a bad day. He couldn't find any tomatoes in the refrigerator and had to eat his breakfast tomato-less. Then, when he'd tried to recall what had happened the previous night, the only memories he had did not contain a shred of reality. But after turning his brain to mush wracking it for answers, he came up empty handed so he just had to assume what he had presumably experienced had been real. Then, when he met Sakura, she said that it was a marshmallow that ate the monkey and launched into a debate about the whole thing. It was retarded and now that he thought back on it, he had made himself sound really retarded in the heat of the moment. I mean come on! How can a meat bun give birth? Then, something exploded in his face and now he had to waste time washing all the grime off. Yep, it was a bad day indeed.

Kakashi was watching over his cute Gennin, occasionally glancing over at the blond one on his team. The one he had mistaken for his sensei on the first day. Now that he thought about it, every time he saw 'Naruto' pangs of nostalgia would flood him and he'd feel tears building up, threatening to fall. Over the weeks the feeling had lessened but he still wondered why his student would affect him in such a way. He pushed it aside, seeing as his students had come out of the lake, albeit sopping wet.

Minato sensed his team mates and sensei heading over to his location and activated the seal while stuffing his book back into his kunai pouch. He rested his head on the rough bark of the tree and waited for his team mates to arrive. The sound of footsteps reached his ears and both eyes shot open as a chakra signature he recognised as Sakura's sped towards him. He moved out of the way just as Sakura's fist met with the poor tree. "NARUTO! When I get my hands on you, I'll kill you for ruining my clothes!"

"I'm sorry!" Minato shouted dodging blow after blow.

"Now now, that's enough you two." Kakashi said as he hoisted Sakura into the air and locked her arms in place to stop her from assaulting Minato any further. "Calm down," Kakashi said, trying to placate the rampaging kunoichi. A very hurt Kakashi and a nearly castrated Minato later, they finally arrived at the Hokage Tower, fully understanding the saying 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'.

"What happened to you guys?" Sarutobi inquired, hastily adding a "Never mind" seeing Kakashi and Naruto shuddering involuntarily. "Alright. Ignoring your haggard appearances, I have deemed your team ready for a C-rank mission." Cheers permeated the air. "Iruka, you're not going to object?" Sarutobi asked, baffled by the Chunin's silence.

"No Hokage-sama." Iruka replied, thinking 'Why would I? Seeing as one of them is Sharingan Kakashi and another is Kiiroi Senkou.'

"Why not?" the Hokage persisted.

"Um… because I have faith in them." Iruka said with conviction.

"That's good enough for me." The Hokage concluded, causing Iruka to release a breath he didn't even know he was holding. "Anyways, your mission will be to protect the bridge builder Tazuna. You will be escorting him to his home in the land of Waves and protect him as he builds his bridge. Okay, send in Tazuna." The Hokage commanded. The team stared intently at the door in anticipation, forming speculations about how this 'Tazuna' person looked like.

The door opened and revealed an old man who was getting on in his age. He wore a grey shirt that was secured by a cloth belt and khaki coloured pants. He carried a backpack with a bedroll secured tightly on top of it and had a towel draped across his shoulders. There was something reminiscent of a headband tied to his head and the heavy blush on his cheeks coupled with the bottle of sake in his grasp clued them in to the fact that this 'Tazuna' was drunk. He leaned on the door frame and insulted them, his words slurred.

"What the… A bunch of little snot-nosed kids? And you two look like you don't have money to buy new clothes and took a stroll in the rain. And you in the middle. You look like you got beaten up by your wife for cheating on someone else, not that you have one. You really expect me to believe you three are ninja?" He took another swig of his sake "I am Tazuna, a master bridge builder and I expect the Hokage has already informed you of my situation. I am building a bridge there that will change our world and I expect you to get me there safely, even if it costs you your life."

"Okay Team 7, meet me at the gates in 1 hour." Kakashi instructed before leaving via shunshin.

"Don't worry. He won't arrive late if it's for a mission." Minato informed his team mates as they left the building.

His team mates nodded curtly in response and left for their apartment to get changed. Minato rushed back to his apartment and wormed out of his blinding jumpsuit, exposing the black garb beneath. Snapping on his glove, he decided that even if it was just a simple C-rank mission, he would still have to be careful and expect the unexpected. There was also something about the bridge builder that set his alarm bells ringing. Something was wrong.

He grabbed a sealing scroll and proceeded to seal all the necessities into it and slipping it into his kunai pouch along with a book on sealing before strapping the pouch to his right thigh. Jumping out of the window and onto the roof, he flitted across the rooftops towards an alley between two buildings and landed in the passageway before strolling out into the sunlight and onto the main road. He then walked towards the gates to meet up with his team.

Upon arriving, he did not see any of his team mates so he took up residence next to the gates and opened his book, perusing it once again. The reason for his constant studying of seals was to find a way to bring Kushina back to life. So far, things looked bleak but he was not about to give up. He snapped his book closed when he sensed his team mates approaching. Sakura appeared in his field of vision, her hair dripping wet and wearing her usual apparel but it was clear she had changed because the set she was wearing didn't look like it had been in the blender. In addition she had a backpack slung across her back.

She noticed him and gave him a curious look, asking "Why don't you have a backpack. Don't tell me you aren't bringing anything? And why the sudden change in clothes? I remember! You were wearing this during the graduation exams right?"

"Um… Sasuke, 3 o'clock." Minato rushed, for once immensely happy to see Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cooed as she ran up to meet her crush. Minato sighed in relief.

"Hey. What's up with your clothes? Had a wardrobe change?" Sasuke brought up where Sakura had left off.

"Well, since we're finally getting a C-ranker, I thought I should at least dress appropriately." Minato said casually, hoping that Sasuke would drop the subject.

"Oh really…" Kakashi appeared out of thin air over Sasuke's shoulder.

"Gaahh!" the three Gennin shouted in surprise. Minato, having sensed their wayward sensei just shouted along with his team mates so as not to seem suspicious. Kakashi eye-smiled and joined them in their wait for the bridge builder. Minutes later, Tazuna turned up, smelling of booze and sweat and was downright drunk.

"What're we waitin' for? Let's go already." Tazuna slurred, stepping beyond the large gates of Konoha. Kakashi shrugged and motioned for the team to follow him. They all set down on the path towards Wave, excitement bubbling in the air. Minato and Kakashi the only ones having suspicions about the drunk bridge builder known as Tazuna. Soon, Minato would be very glad he had decided to heed his gut feeling for what they were about to face was definitely not within the boundaries of a C-rank.

**A/N: Urm… I'm not very confident about this chapter because I was having writer's block. Anyway, I need help. Do you have any theories on what would happen if you tried to use Edo-Tensei to summon someone who is still alive? What I think is that nothing will happen. What do you think? Please respond thank you! **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Apparently, quite a lot of people want Zabuza dead and yet Haku alive. Anyway, I don't think Minato would actually…um leave Haku alive for her to fall in love with him because he is a battle hardened shinobi after all… Please reply to the poll soon. *whine***

**Rixxell Stryfe- I'm so sorry. Quite a few want Zabuza dead so… and not many want Haku to fall in love with Sasuke. **

**Vitorhugo0- That's so complicated. I really don't like complex things so… I think I'll just make the Edo Tensei ineffectual if Orochimaru tries it. I just really don't understand the thing with all the souls.**

Chapter 9: Wave

Minato was tuning out what his sensei was saying, instead focusing on the bridge builder. His body movements signalled that he was nervous about something, but nervous about what? He had a Jounin to protect him from bandits if they were the ones after him and if three Gennin couldn't handle it, a Jounin could take care of them without breaking a sweat, especially one of Kakashi's calibre. Minato kept all his senses on high alert in case anything were to happen.

Suddenly, the presence of two Chunnin level ninja assaulted his senses. He continued walking nodding at what Kakashi had just said, discreetly checking around for the source and uncovering a genjutsu in the process. The puddle on the road was very suspicious since it had not rained in weeks and the sun was grilling the earth at full blast. He glanced back at his sensei and noticed a twitch in his muscles. 'So he knows. Good.' Minato thought, casually placing his hand over his weapons pouch as he walked by the puddle seemingly without a care in the world.

Minato let his eyes gravitate over to his team mates at the helm and saw Sakura conversing with Tazuna whereas Sasuke was glancing back at the puddle. 'So he knows too? That makes my job easier.' Minato mused, applauding his team mate's attentiveness. The surface of the puddle rippled and a figure emerged. The battle had begun. Two ninja burst out of the genjutsu, wearing breathing masks and each wielding a gauntlet each connected by a spiked chain. The symbol on their head bands were scratched through, signifying their nuke-nin status.

One of the ninja used his partner as a springboard and somersaulted over Kakashi, binding the Jounin. All of Minato's instincts told him to move. To go save his former student just like he did on _that_ mission, but he forced himself to watch as Kakashi struggled, his face a mask of surprise and panic. Kakashi struggled to break free, grunting with the effort. "Do it!" one of the ninja instructed, and the two of them yanked on the chain in opposite directions, the spikes on the chain slicing Kakashi into little pieces.

Minato felt Kakashi's chakra spike and chuckled inwardly at his sensei's antics while outwardly calling out to his supposedly dead sensei as pieces of what he knew to be logs hit the ground. Sakura screamed in horror, seeing her sensei cut into little Kakashi bits. Sasuke's face remained stoic and calm, analysing the situation. The two Chunin appeared behind Minato chuckling menacingly saying "Now it's your turn" Minato smirked. They were clearly underestimating him. He launched himself at the two Chunin and engaged them in battle.

Kakashi was watching his three Gennin, intent on gauging their skills and how they'd fare in a real battle and also find out who the assassins were after, killing two birds with one stone. Sakura had thrown herself in front of Tazuna, kunai in hand, protecting him while Sasuke tensed his muscles, ready to engage the Chunin. So far so good. Then his gaze swept over to Naruto and mentally berated the boy for freezing up, when the blond turned around and smirked at the two Chunin, clearly amused about something. That was when Kakashi's heart nearly stopped beating. For those few seconds, his sensei had been the one smirking on the battlefield in all his former glory. Naruto rushing the two Chunin snapped Kakashi from his stupor. Kakashi realised he wasn't breathing and took a deep breath before diverting his attention back to the battle.

Minato ducked under the spiked chains as Sasuke whipped out a shuriken and a kunai and flung the shuriken in one fluid motion, pinning the chain to a tree, before firing the kunai in quick succession, reinforcing the shuriken. The two Chunin were yanked together into the middle where Minato was. The latter slammed his hands onto his opponents' heads and drove their heads into the ground, reinforcing his attack with chakra, knocking the two nuke-nin out.

Sasuke walked over but Sakura stayed at her post in case their assailants were not truly out of it. Minato jabbed a few pressure points to keep them immobile for good measure. Just then, Kakashi jumped down from his hiding place, startling everyone but Minato and Sasuke. "Good work you guys. I'm proud of you three. You showed teamwork, initiative and your ability to respond in a battle. I could've taken them out easily but I didn't. Anyone know why?" the Jounin of the group questioned.

"Was it to see who he was targeting sensei?" Sakura chanced.

"Correct. Sasuke is an Uchiha so naturally there would be people after him but they didn't attack him, they attacked Naruto. But they have no reason to attack him, so we have to assume they wanted to take us out to get to the person we were protecting which is you Tazuna." The silver-haired man concluded, gazing intently at the old bridge builder. "Now. Tazuna-san. They're Chunin from the Hidden Mist. Their specialty is relentless attack which means they keep fighting no matter what the sacrifice. When you came to us with your request, you asked for standard protection from robbers, highwaymen and bandits so why are there ninja after your head? Now, if we knew this, we would have assigned more experienced and better ninja. You may have your reasons but lying to us is not acceptable. We are now beyond the scope of this mission." Kakashi stated, glaring intently at the old bridge builder and causing very noticeable nervousness in the old man.

"I guess we should go back…" Kakashi sighed. In a last bid to get the team to complete the mission, Tazuna launched into a long winded sob story about his family and his village which Minato tuned out, not wanting to be swayed and putting his comrades in danger in a momentary lapse in judgement.

"Naruto!" a feminine voice drifted through the haze, causing Minato to turn around to face his team mates.

"What?" he asked, baffled.

"We've agreed to continue the mission so get moving!" Kakashi called to him. Only then did Minato notice that the bridge builder and his team had advanced and he was still where the two nuke-nin had been tied up.

"Sorry." Minato apologised, jogging up to them.

"You have to be more alert or you're going to get killed you know?" Kakashi loosely reprimanded.

"Why the sudden change in heart?"

"Blame the sob story. And your team mates."

"Gennin have no power over a Jounin."

" Touché."

"You've changed."

"What?" Kakashi rounded on his blond student but he'd already stalked off to join his team mates in the row boat.

Kakashi shrugged it off and stepped aboard and the boat pushed on towards the Land of Waves. Fog soon engulfed them and with it came silence. All they could hear was the water slapping against the sides of the boat and their own breathing. "Tazuna-san. I need to ask you something before we reach the pier. Who are the men after you? And I need to know why. If you don't tell us, we'll end this mission the moment we drop you ashore." Kakashi asked, his voice carrying on the wind.

"You know him. At least, you should've heard his name before. He's one of the wealthiest men in the world. The shipping magnate, Gato." Tazuna finished mysteriously.

"Gato? Of Gato transport? He's a business leader. _Everyone_ knows him." Kakashi echoed, a shocked look on what could be seen of his face.

"That's true, but beneath the surface, he uses ruthless methods to take over businesses and nations. But he also deals in drugs and contraband using bandits and ninja. He set his sight on our country and took total control of our transport and shipping. Anyone who went against him were dealt with. But to an island nation, the one who controls the seas controls the nation. But the bridge I'm building will break his control." Tazuna concluded.

"So those ninja in the forest. They were working for Gato." Sasuke said.

"But if you knew that, then why lie to us?" Kakashi continued.

"Because the Land of Waves is a small and impoverished nation. Even the nobles have little money so we can't pay for anything higher than a C-rank mission." Tazuna said and mad one last play on their conscience with the reactions of his family should he be assassinated. Minato tuned all this out as well, not wanting to let his emotions get the better of him in a mission, not hearing Kakashi agree to keep guarding Tazuna. When they finally set foot on dry land again, the rower bid them farewell and wished them good luck.

"Take me to my home in one piece." Their client commanded. As the wooden houses by the sea fell away to reveal forests, Minato fell back before stopping completely. He put a finger on the ground and sensed a presence that the level of a Jounin somewhere in the bushes. He whipped out a kunai and released it in the direction of the presence, only to feel its chakra spike and be replaced by something more like an animal. The group turned around with startled looks on their faces before Sakura strode up to him and smacked him over the head for startling them. "But there was someone there I swear!" he whined childishly.

"Yeah right! Quit acting like a child!" she shouted as Kakashi moved through the bushes to uncover a white rabbit with a kunai knife centimetres above its head.

"Now look what you did!" she rounded on him.

"It's white!" Minato said, losing the childishness and suddenly jolting with rapt attention.

"Who cares if it's white?" Sakura shouted in confusion, but Minato was not listening. He had dropped to a crouch and was pressing his finger to the ground, his face set in a look of concentration.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Kakashi asked, looking over his shoulder, the rest of the group giving him curious looks.

"Nothing, sensei. Don't mind me, I'm just checking the direction of the wind." Minato said in a sing-song voice. Kakashi felt something vying for attention at the back of his mind, but he couldn't picture his sunshiny student lying to him, so he pushed it out of his mind.

"Um… Okay. So anyway. The rabbit's pelt is white, but it's not winter," began Kakashi

"Meaning it was bred indoors," Sasuke continued.

"and can be used for Kawarimi." Sakura gasped. Just then, Minato felt the same presence approaching at a high speed.

"Get down!" he shouted, dragging Sakura and Tazuna to the ground with him, Sasuke following soon after. Kakashi's eyes widened and he hit the dirt, sensing the presence as well. Just as Kakashi's body made contact with the ground, a giant zanbatou exploded out of the forest and embedded itself in a gnarled tree. 'How did Naruto sense him before I did?' Kakashi wondered as a figure landed on the sword.

"Momochi Zabuza. Demon of the Hidden Mist." Kakashi named the figure posing on the zanbatou. Minato pulled out a kunai, bracing himself for the battle that was to come.

**A/N: I don't know how to spell zanbatou so someone please help me. I know most of this chapter was canon (I was copying from the show. American Naruto is not exactly very… you know… but I couldn't find anything else to work with so please bear with me.) The fight will be in the next chapter and the poll is still on so please put in your votes. I will try my hardest not to make the next chapter too canon-ish. I thank you all for supporting my story. Please review. Thank you. **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Battle with Zabuza nyan. So far, Haku is going to live, fall in love with Minato and Zabuza is going to buy the farm. Haku is going back to Konoha with Team 7 and Zabuza's going in a grave. Poll is still open so please vote if you want the tables turned around. Thank you.**

**blakraven66- Haven't seen you in a while. And I agree completely.**

**Haku Yuukinari- No, English isn't _supposed_ to be my first language, but my Chinese is so sucky it might as well be. **

**Lily Umbra- Really? I don't know… I needed a filler but… I guess he doesn't. And I don't want to see Minato hesitate either. **

**I love grass type Pokémon! Sorry. Just felt like saying that…**

Chapter 10: Zabuza Momochi

"Kakashi of the Sharingan. Am I right?" Zabuza rasped. 'Obito…' Minato thought looking downcast. "He's way out of your league! Protect the bridge builder and stay _out _of this fight!" Kakashi commanded, one hand flying to his lopsided headband. The group, minus Minato stared in anticipation as Kakashi lifted up his headband, uncovering his left eye with a long vertical scar running through it. He opened it, revealing a red eye with three tomoe encircling the centre. "So… I get to see the Sharingan in action so soon. I feel honoured."

Fog began rolling in, obscuring the group's vision and dampening the sounds in the area. "Enough talking. I need to assassinate the old man." Zabuza crouched down on his sword. The team formed a triangle in front of the old man. Zabuza slammed one foot on the trunk of the tree and jumped away, bringing his zanbatou with him. Minato sensed the man landing on the water in the lake not far from them but stayed where he was, fighting to keep his eyes away until Sakura pointed a finger towards the lake, having seen Zabuza.

The latter built up a huge amount of chakra and called out the name of the technique, before the fog engulfed him and he disappeared altogether, leaving only a leaf drifting on the wind. The leaf daintily touched the surface of the water, resting there. Kakashi walked to the front of the group saying "He'll come after me first."

"Sensei, who was that person?" Sakura asked, her eyes wide.

"Zabuza Momochi. He's a master of the silent killing technique. As the name suggests, it happens in an instant, without sound or warning of any kind. Even the Sharingan can't fully counter it, so don't let your guard down." Kakashi proclaimed. "Well, if we fail, we'll only lose our lives," Kakashi shrugged, as if it didn't matter.

The mist thickened, swallowing Kakashi as well, leaving the foursome alone in the mist. They stood around the bridge builder, anticipating an attack. The dampening of their senses only increased their level of fear to the point it was almost tangible. "8 points. Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, subclavian artery, kidneys, heart. Now, which will be my kill point?" a voice echoed around the clearing, only serving to intimidate the group further. Kakashi unleashed his chakra, generating so much it was visible and flooding the clearing.

Killing intent washed over everyone there and a pained look crossed Sasuke's face. Minato watched as Sasuke brought his other hand up to the grip of his kunai and raised it, wanting to kill himself to end the feeling. Minato looked away, conflicted. His comrade or his secret? Finally, just as he was about to stop Sasuke, a cry rang out "Sasuke!" The brunet jerked his head upwards to look at their sensei, sweat beading his forehead and a look of shock on his face, as if he had just woken up from a nightmare.

"Calm down. I'll protect you with my life. All of you. I will not allow my comrades to die. Trust me." Kakashi said reassuringly, turning around and giving his signature eye-smile. 'You really have changed.' Minato thought, proud of his former student. Sasuke's expression became more schooled, but then the voice rang out again

"I wouldn't be so sure." Minato sensed a Zabuza clone being made and dashing towards them and going between them and the bridge builder. He sorely wanted to intercept it and take Zabuza down, but stayed where he was and feigned surprise. "It's over." The clone voiced, but before it could harm anyone, Kakashi moved towards it and the kunai in his hand soon found a home in the clone's gut. The only thing that set the clone apart from the real one was that the wound was bleeding water and not blood.

The water ran over the floor and pooled while the real one materialised behind Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei! Behind you!" Minato called out, deciding to put his comrades before his secret since this mission was clearly very dangerous. The thing was, this Kakashi was a water clone, so Minato made no move to save it, instead watching as it was returned to its liquid form. Zabuza's eyes widened, clearly not anticipating his own technique to be copied and used against him. A kunai appeared by Zabuza's throat, the hand holding it connected to Kakashi's body.

Before they could celebrate, however, another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi. Minato whipped out a kunai and launched it at Zabuza under cover of mist. Zabuza sensed it at the last moment and dodged, but was not able to avoid it completely. The blade sliced above his eye, causing a trail of blood to trickle into his eye, forcing him to close it. Minato unsealed his tanto as Zabuza turned to him, but he just grunted and swung his giant cleaver towards Kakashi, letting the momentum build up and enhance his attack. Kakashi ducked under the blade at the last moment and the blade swung harmlessly over his head.

The zanbatou completed another revolution and was driven into the ground. Zabuza's hand left the hilt of the cleaver before gripping the tip and twisting around, using the sword as a medium to increase his attack strength and sent Kakashi flying through the air via a kick. Zabuza jerked the zanbatou downwards to loosen it and pulled it out of the ground causing dirt clods to fly. He ran at high speeds before stopping in his tracks, seeing spikes laid out on the ground. He sneered at the feeble attempt at slowing him down before diving into the water after Kakashi.

"He has great physical skill too." Sasuke breathed.

Sakura just looked on wide eyed, tightening her grip around her kunai. Kakashi surfaced and lifted a hand out of the water as Zabuza surfaced too and landed on the water behind him, running through hand seals. Suddenly, an orb of water formed around Kakashi, trapping him inside with one of Zabuza's hands inside the water ball with him. He raised his spare hand and created another water clone. "You think just having a head band makes you a ninja. Only when death doesn't faze you anymore, then can you call yourself a ninja. When you've become so deadly you're entered in a bingo book, then you may have earned the title of ninja. But to call upstarts like you ninja, is a joke." Zabuza rasped. Minato could sense Zabuza closing the distance between them with each passing second but forced himself to close his eyes as he awaited the attack. His headband loosened and flew off his neck, and Minato himself was sent back a few yards. The headband fell to the floor, finding itself with Zabuza's foot on top. "You're just _brats_." He spat, venom dripping from his words.

"Listen! Get the bridge builder and run! You can't win this fight! He's using all his power to keep me in this prison so he can only fight you with his water clone, but the clone can't stray too far from his real body so he can't follow you. Run!" Kakashi ordered them from the water prison. Sasuke smirked, weighing their options and coming to the conclusion that their only chance was to free their sensei. He then ran at Zabuza, releasing 5 shuriken but they were deflected by a single swing of the zanbatou. Sasuke launched himself upward, intending to peg him with an aerial attack. As Sasuke came down, Zabuza reached out with his hand to grab Sasuke. Minato dashed towards the two, landing on Zabuza's arm, Sasuke in his embrace, before propelling himself back to the bridge builder's side.

"Why did you stop me? Our only chance is to destroy the clone and free sensei! Now let go of me!" Sasuke shouted, his face contorted in fury.

"I know, but we need a plan. You can't just rush him, he's much stronger than us. We have to outwit him." Minato said, not wanting to make eye contact with his livid team mate.

"What do you propose we do then?" Sasuke asked, calming down.

"I'll take care of the clone so it can't go after Sasuke. Sasuke, throw this. Make sure it can get near Zabuza." Minato said, handing him a windmill shuriken with inscriptions on the blade. Sasuke nodded grimly.

"Sakura, you stay here and protect Tazuna. You're our last chance if we die." Minato said, looking Sakura in the eye.

"Don't say that! We will _all_ come out of this alive. Now go get him." Sakura said, trying to boost their morale.

Minato smiled reassuringly at Sakura and stood up, getting ready to put his plan into motion. Sakura stood before Tazuna, gripping her kunai tightly, trying desperately not to shake. Sasuke made a beeline towards the real Zabuza but 'Naruto' stayed. She was about to tell her blond team mate to move when 'Naruto' just disappeared and reappeared next to the clone, which reverted back to water, splashing across the ground. She rubbed her eyes furiously and saw that she had not imagined it. Then she saw him running up to Sasuke, who was about to release the windmill shuriken. Sasuke then flipped it open and threw it, aiming the large weapon as best he could at Zabuza.

'Naruto' then intercepted the shuriken and hopped onto the ring, but he wasn't spinning like the shuriken was so she could only assume that the blades were spinning in a groove in the ring. Surprisingly, the shuriken didn't drop to the ground. That surprised her because she couldn't find an explanation for it. Minato shuriken-surfed towards Zabuza and his sensei, using his wind manipulation to negate his weight. He crouched down on the ring, keeping his body close to the rotating shuriken blades.

Minato put a hand on the ring and when he reached Zabuza, the latter tilted backwards, dodging the blades of the shuriken as it passed millimetres above his face. Unfortunately for Minato, it didn't even slice off his nose. Minato then stopped the blades of the shuriken and hopped off while keeping the blades from slicing himself before bringing the closed weapon down on the Demon of the Mist's arm. The one that kept his sensei trapped inside the water ball. His movements were so fast that Zabuza had absolutely no time to react. The weapon connected with his arm, producing a sickening crunch.

Kakashi stared wide-eyed at the display, the only thought running through his mind was 'Sensei'. No one could move that fast, save for Gai and his mini-me. The water prison collapsed, releasing him, leaving him on all fours on the water's surface, soaked to the bone. He looked over to where his blond student was supposed to be, but saw that he was gone. He glanced over at Sakura and the group and saw him standing there, a grin on his face. 'Must have been a shadow clone.' Kakashi shrugged, groaning as he righted himself.

Zabuza had recovered as well, gripping his arm. The absence of a lump in his fore arm indicated that it had not broken under the force of the Windmill Shuriken. Minato grinned from his position near the bridge builder. His plan had gone like clockwork, though it relied on his speed a lot, no one seemed any the wiser about his identity, and he had kept his comrades from getting _too_ badly beaten up. He watched as the two Jounin stood atop the lake, ready to do battle. "Your technique worked on me once, but it won't work again. So, what's it gonna be"

The two jumped away from each other, Zabuza starting a long string of hand seals, Kakashi using his sharingan and followed at almost exactly the same time. They finally finished with a "Tori!" The water swirled and reared, rising in an arc and writhed as if trying to break free from their watery bond that was the lake. Eventually, they broke free and took the shape of dragons. "Water Dragon Jutsu!" They shouted as the dragons spiralled and circled each other before taking to the air. The two attacks ducked and dodged, continuing their interlocking dance before reaching the peak and cancelling each other out, raining down on the two Jounin and creating tidal waves.

The tidal wave washed onto the shore and swept Minato and the group as the dragons reformed and battled each other, biting and clashing as they both battled for dominance. Inside the dome of spouting water, the two Jounin clashed in the middle, Zabuza pushing the back of his sword with his left hand, Kakashi countering with a kunai. They, too, struggled for dominance, mirroring the battling dragons above. Zabuza's eyes narrowed and Minato felt a presence approach once again. This one was more feminine and it made no move to attack.

Minato kept his eyes on the two Jounin, observing the battle. Zabuza's arm right arm faltered as the injury took its toll it. He jumped away from Kakashi and the latter did the same at the exact same moment. They both landed at the same time, opposing each other, and circled each other like their dragons once did. They stopped, Kakashi mirroring Zabuza's movements flawlessly. Minato tuned out the conversation going on by his ear, giving his attention to the battle. "It's as if… it's as if he knows what-" Zabuza began.

"I'm about to do." Kakashi finished without missing a beat.

Sweat broke out across Zabuza's brow, clearly freaked by Kakashi's performance. "It makes you furious doesn't it?" Kakashi taunted.

"Ha! All you're doing is copying me like a monkey." Zabuza countered. "You can't beat me with cheap tricks! I'll crush you!" they shouted at exactly the same time. "When I'm finished with you, you'll never open that monkey mouth again!" Zabuza growled, making hand signs and narrowing his eyes as Kakashi began making the exact same hand signs without fault. It was as if Kakashi had _become_ Zabuza. "Water style: Giant Water Vortex!" Kakashi shouted, a wave of water spiralling to life and exploding outwards.

The maelstrom of water pulled Zabuza in, buffeting him in the currents. The vortex ripped through the lake and onto land, where it uprooted several trees, taking them and debris with it. This made Zabuza's situation worse as he was swirled around with the stray rocks and branches. Finally, the attack broke apart, leaving Zabuza leaning against a tree, panting doggedly and heavily injured. It was clear he was exhausted. He coughed water out of his lungs and his body jerked with the force of it. Minato sensed the same feminine presence nearby, but this time, his/ her aura was more hostile. Four kunai found purchase in Zabuza's body and he roared in pain. Kakashi appeared on the branch above Zabuza, watching the water recede.

Zabuza forced his eyes upwards, straining to form words "How… Can you see into the future?"

"Yes, and I foresee your death!" Kakashi said, emphasising his point by taking out a kunai.

Senbon struck Zabuza in the neck before Kakashi could do anything, causing the former's body to fall limp, his head sagging into his chest. Everyone stared in shock, Kakashi being the first to snap out of it and turning towards the feminine presence Minato had sensed, his visible eye wide and his body shaking. There on the branch, was someone wearing an Oi-nin mask. "You were right. He did die." The hunter said in a lilting female voice.

Kakashi moved over to Zabuza's side and put two fingers at his neck, checking the limp body for a pulse. "No vital signs." Kakashi breathed. The hunter dipped his/ her head and thanked them for the assistance, if unwitting. Minato crossed to the front of the hunter, or tracker if you will, and felt conflicted once again. The hunter had used senbon, which were not commonly used by real hunters since they do not inflict fatal blows unless they strike an important organ like the heart. Other than that, it was used for stuff like paralysing the enemy. It was highly likely that Zabuza was still alive.

The mission came before his secret, but revealing himself would probably shock his student into a coma in his current state. Kakashi was exhausted and they couldn't risk pursuing Zabuza and his lackey without him being in his original body, so he closed one eye and let them leave, determined to eliminate them the next time he saw them. "I must deal with the remains. There are many secrets in this body. They must not fall into the wrong hands. Please excuse me. Farewell." The hunter said calmly, and disappeared with the wind.

Kakashi pulled down his head band and said "He's gone Naruto. Let it go." Minato gazed at the spot where Zabuza had inhabited until a while ago, and walked towards the group. "Our mission's not over yet. We still have to get the bridge builder to his bridge." Kakashi made an attempt at lightening the mood. "Sorry I caused all this trouble for you, but you can crash at my house when we reach the village." Tazuna said sheepishly. "Alright, let's get a move on." Kakashi commanded as he turned towards the direction of the village.

He had only walked a few steps before what Minato had been fearing came true. Kakashi seized up, his eye wide and unseeing, his body shaking. Then he pitched forward. Minato ran to his former student and caught him before he could hit the ground. "Chakra exhaustion." Minato diagnosed. "Tazuna, is your house far from here?" Minato asked urgently. "Not really, it's just-" Tazuna began. "Alright! Lead us there and try your best to keep up." Minato barked, slinging Kakashi over his shoulder. They dashed off towards Tazuna's house, Zabuza temporarily leaving their minds, though not for long.

**A/N: Um… This chapter is not very well done because I was depressed when doing it. My parents and sister started off on the topic I most abhor. Grades. Anyway, you know how chakra is connected to their (ninja's) life force, well… I think that if that's the case, chakra exhaustion must be near fatal if left for too long. In fact, I think they did say that chakra exhaustion could be fatal. Oh well Please review and correct my mistakes as well. Thank you. **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Well, this is going to be filler mostly so… the poll is still on because the battle on the bridge hasn't started yet. At least not in my story. I know that using the English versions of the techniques is kinda cheesy, but, sad to say, I don't know Japanese.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. K.I.S.S. (Kept it short & sweet.)**

Chapter 11: Zabuza's still Alive

Minato found himself on the roof of Tazuna's house, star gazing. He had spent the past hour beating himself up about letting his former student suffer from chakra exhaustion. He had foreseen it, so why didn't he help battle Zabuza on the lake? 'It's all my fault. If only I had killed Zabuza then and there, Kakashi wouldn't be in this state. We wouldn't be in this mess.' Minato thought, trying to find constellations in the stars, and hopefully, a sign. He sighed and got up, the tiles clacking as his feet made contact with them. He walked over to the edge and launched himself off, landing soundlessly on the ground, a halo of dust rising around his feet.

He opened the door to Tazuna's house and ambled in, closing the door behind him. He stalked over to the room Kakashi was currently occupying, and entered, hearing a click as the door shut. Guilt bubbled in his chest as he stared at the prone figure of his former student. It had been a day since they'd arrived at Tazuna's house, him carrying Kakashi with Tazuna leading the group. He plopped down beside his student's limp body and watched the steady rise and fall of his chest. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't help you this time. It's all my fault you're having chakra exhaustion right now." Minato whispered to Kakashi's sleeping form, wanting to get it off his chest without Kakashi actually finding out anything.

"Oh really, the way I see it, you were actually pretty amazing out there." Minato jumped, kunai in hand, before turning his attention to the figure on the futon. Kakashi's eye was open and staring directly at him.

"Don't scare me like that!" Minato said, heaving a sigh of relief.

"What did you mean by 'this time'? You've never helped me with anything in particular to my knowledge." Kakashi asked serenely from his position on the futon.

"Really? I thought I helped you when I got you out of Zabuza's water prison."

"Aside from that."

"How about that time I got Tora off of you?"

"And that."

"And when I carried you here."

"That too."

"Hmm… I can't think of anymore."

"So tell me. What did you mean by that?"

"What are we talking about again?" Minato played dumb.

"I swear. Talking to you is like talking to an old lady sometimes." Kakashi slapped his forehead.

Minato chuckled and stood up. "Glad you're awake sensei." He smiled, leaving the room.

Kakashi lay on the futon, his eyes following his blond student as he made his way out of the room, smiling. Like his sensei used to. 'No. Don't think about that. It'll only hurt you. Sensei is dead and nothing will change that. Nothing _can_ change that.' He let his eyelids fall and began to think about their battle with Zabuza. Now that he thought about it, 'Naruto' had been unnaturally fast during the battle. He had managed to stop Sasuke from trying to attack Zabuza which would definitely have ended with him caught and hurt, possibly killed. His blond student had to have moved incredibly fast to have achieved that, but that speed was definitely unattainable for a Gennin. And yet, as if to prove it wasn't just a fluke, he'd done it again with the windmill shuriken, if it could even be called that. How many windmill shuriken were built for surfing on? There was something going on with 'Naruto' and he was determined to find out.

Minato walked out of Kakashi's room and into the corridor. He made his way to the room he shared with Sasuke and saw that his room mate was already asleep, if the light snores were any indication. He crossed over to the window and slipped out, walking over to Sakura's window. He ran off into the forest after seeing her sound asleep on the futon. He didn't know if Kakashi was asleep, but he was not about to take the risk and find out.

He hopped from tree to tree until he reached a clearing large enough for him to train in. He went about his routine, the moon strung high above him in the heavens, casting light on the world. By the time the sun had started to push its rays through the thick clouds, Minato was lying on the grass, drenched in sweat, his breathing laboured and pained. He struggled to push himself up, his arms shaking under the strain. When he finally got up, he summoned his chakra and used Hiraishin to get himself back to the house. He had stowed a few tri-pronged kunai in his weapons pouch and was relieved no one had gone riffling through his stuff.

He brought a towel, soap and fresh clothes into the bathroom and struggled to unstick his damp clothes from his body. When he finally managed to do so, he sealed them into a scroll and stepped into the bath. The water was refreshingly cool and each droplet that landed on his skin seemed to send a shock of energy through his aching body. He took a quick shower and shut off the water. The pipe shuddered and he stepped out of the shower room, picking up his towel as he did so. He dried most of the water from his body and slipped on a new set of clothes.

He felt tired, sleepy, lethargic, but these feelings weren't foreign to him. He hadn't slept the night before but sleep was not a luxury he could indulge in, knowing that Zabuza was still alive. He knew that he used to be Hokage, but he couldn't get conceited. Zabuza also had territorial advantage because they were in the Land of Waves, Waves meaning there was water, and lots of it. He sat on the floor, book in hand, and waited for his team mate to rouse.

Sunlight was streaming in through the window and Sasuke felt the rays pierce his eyes, even through his eyelids. He opened his eyes and winced, instinctively bringing a hand up to his stinging eyes to shield them from the harsh sunlight. He bolted out of bed and saw his blond team mate sitting beside him, reading a book. So 'Naruto' had gotten up earlier than he had. He stood up to change out of his pyjamas and saw 'Naruto' turn away from him, his eyes never leaving his book. Sasuke shrugged and when he was fully dressed in an outfit that did not belong with a teddy bear, the two boys made their way to the dining room for breakfast, 'Naruto' stowing his book in his weapons pouch prior.

Sakura looked up from setting out the cutlery and greeted them followed by an eye-smile from Kakashi who was leaning on a pair of crutches. Breakfast was rather joyous until Kakashi's words dispersed the happy atmosphere. "Zabuza is still alive." Silence dominated the room.

"What do you mean Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura whispered, recovering from her shock, her spoonful of cereal halfway between the bowl and her mouth, forgotten.

"I mean what I said. Zabuza is still alive. That Hunter-nin was probably working with Zabuza and just put him in a state of false death (?), meaning his heart stopped, but only temporarily. Sakura! What weapon did he use?" Kakashi quizzed.

"Senbon." She replied instantaneously.

"Correct. And what's wrong with an Oi-nin using it? Naruto!" He fired another question. "They can pierce deeply, but they rarely kill unless they hit a vital organ, like the heart. There are, however, no real vital organs in the neck that can be struck to kill Zabuza. They are actually modified from needles used in medical treatment like acupuncture. Vital organs are protected by bones in the body and even if their aim is very good, it would not be a choice weapon because there is still a chance that the target would survive." Minato rattled off.

"Right. Trackers are trained to know every detail in the human body, and to deal with the body immediately. How did the hunter we encountered deal with Zabuza's body? Sasuke!" Kakashi directed another question. "He took the body away. He didn't deal with it on the spot. And since he/she is a hunter who is very knowledgeable about the human body, causing the heart to stop temporarily while keeping the body alive shouldn't pose a challenge for him/her." Sasuke answered, understanding flickering in his eyes.

"That proves my point." Kakashi said, and they stared at him, their breakfast forgotten.

"What are you waiting for? Eat your food! If you even want to hope to fight Zabuza, you have to regain your energy." Kakashi eye-smiled. The reaction he got was his students slowly going through their breakfast. The atmosphere was tense and strained silence hung in the air.

"By the way, during our fight with Zabuza, I was wondering how you got to Sasuke before Zabuza, Naruto." Kakashi broke the silence.

"I ran." 'Naruto' replied simply.

"No, I mean how did you get there so fast." Kakashi pressed.

"I ran." 'Naruto' repeated.

"Yes, but _how_ did _you_ get there so _fast_."

"I ran."

"Sasuke was falling."

"Your point is…?"

"Sasuke can fall faster than a normal Gennin can run."

"I'm hyper. What can I say?"

"I agree with sensei. You reached the clone and destroyed it faster than my eyes could see." Sakura joined in their conversation.

"All the carbohydrates from the ramen have to go _somewhere_." Minato answered cryptically.

"I saw it too. When you hit Zabuza's arm with the windmill shuriken, all I saw was a blur." Sasuke backed.

"I'm hyper. End of story." 'Naruto' finished, shovelling cereal into his mouth. It was clear that they wouldn't be getting anymore out of their enigmatic team mate. Sakura and Sasuke swivelled their heads in Kakashi's direction, searching for answers. Kakashi just looked at them and shrugged, shaking his head to show that he didn't know anything.

Once the cutlery and crockery were cleared, Kakashi made an announcement, "Now that we know Zabuza's alive, we're gonna be training. Follow me." He led them outside but did not stop there. He continued on to the clearing Minato had used as a training ground. "Hmm. Seems like _someone's_ been working hard." He said when he saw the fresh gouge marks and footprints from the night before. "Anyway, we're going to do tree climbing. Only you can't use your hands." Kakashi stated as he walked right up to a pine tree and proceeded to casually walk up it with the help of his crutches, as if he were just walking to the corner shop. "You just channel your chakra to your feet, but be careful. Too little and you slip off, too much and you _fly_ off. Now pick a tree and use a kunai to mark your progress. I'm going back to the house to rest. Be back for dinner and don't kill yourselves. I'll come check on you once in a while." With that, he hobbled off, leaving the three Gennin standing around the clearing with kunai in their hands and trees to climb.

Minato wordlessly walked up to a tree and started running up it, only to fall down on his behind when he deliberately channelled too little and slipped. Sasuke smirked and followed suit, not faring much better than his blond team mate when he, true to Kakashi's word, had flown off the tree trunk. There was a large indent where his foot had sunk in and a line carved into the tree a few inches above that. This continued on until the sun started disappearing beyond the horizon.

Sakura had already gone up and down the tree several times, with Kakashi praising her skill in chakra control. Sasuke and Minato were still battling for dominance, trying to outdo each other. Minato egged his team mate on by launching himself off the tree or slipping up on purpose. So far, the raven haired boy was making considerable progress considering the amount of chakra he had. Finally, the two of them managed to make it halfway up the tree.

Sakura was leaning against the tree, panting doggedly, sweat dripping off her chin and sliding from her hairline down past her temple. The three Gennin decided that it was time to head back and acted on it. They showered and changed into clean clothes before assembling back in the dining room for dinner having had lunch in the form of the bento Kakashi brought with him when he checked up on them. Dinner was a tense affair and a young boy wearing a bucket hat and a grumpy expression had joined them for the meal. Minato had seen the little boy lurking around the house. Behind doors, furniture and the like. He always seemed to be sulking and grumpy, for what reason Minato did not know.

"Oh, Inari! Nice of you to join us." Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, smiled at the new arrival.

"Everyone, this is Inari, my grandson." Tazuna introduced. Minato looked into the boy's eyes, and saw a sadness that should not have been present in someone so young. 'If I had not taken Naruto's place, would he have ended up like this?' Minato looked away, trying to chase this thought from his mind. They ate their dinner in silence, Inari glaring at the team throughout the meal. Minato glanced at the photo in the room, of Inari, his mother and Tazuna. There was also another person in the picture, but their face had been crudely torn out. He wondered if Inari's sullen disposition stemmed from the person in the picture.

After dinner, everyone went to bed, but not Kakashi. He was thinking about his blond student. 'He was never this good before. Could he be hiding anything else? I'll just go ask him then.' The silver-haired man concluded, reaching for his crutches and slowly getting up from the futon. When he was finally upright, he hobbled over to where he knew 'Naruto' to be. When he opened the door, he realised one thing. 'Naruto' was missing. Kakashi left the house, deciding that he must have left to train. When he reached the clearing, he saw 'Naruto' running up and down the trees, trying desperately to reach the top, only to slip or be launched off. Kakashi entered the clearing, determined to get some answers.

Minato had been training with his tanto when he sensed Kakashi leaving the house and heading towards him. He sealed his tanto and proceeded to run up the tree and repeat what he had been doing during the team's training session. Falling off trees. Finally Kakashi arrived at the clearing before hesitating. He stopped on the outskirts and lingered among the trees before hobbling into the light. "What are you doing out of bed Naruto?" Kakashi asked casually, shooting him his signature eye-smile.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came out here to train." Naruto replied, his brows furrowed in concentration before he slipped and plummeted to the ground, landing with a thud. A dust cloud exploded around him, obscuring him from view, but when it dissipated, it revealed 'Naruto' on the ground in an awkward position, struggling to get up, a blush making its way across his cheeks.

"I just wanted to ask you about the battle-" Kakashi began, but was cut off by an "I'm hyper," from Minato.

"That's not what I meant sensei-" Kakashi was interrupted yet again.

"Sensei, I know you're injured and all, but I really hope you're not sleepwalking because I have bad experiences with somnambulistic people." Minato forced his body to shudder.

"What?" Kakashi asked, dumbfounded.

"You called me sensei, sensei," Minato answered, "and I have no recollection whatsoever of having taught you. You're also… how much older than me?"

"Right… Don't worry, I'm fully awake and lucky for you, I don't sleepwalk. Well, go back to your training, but make sure you get some sleep. Don't exhaust yourself too much." Kakashi said as he hobbled away, leaving Minato alone in the clearing. 'That was close.' Minato released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He sensed his sensei re-entering Tazuna's house, and continued training, deciding to return to the house and get a little sleep that night lest his sensei got worried, suspicious, or both.

Kakashi opened the door and entered, his crutches making a thudding noise on the floorboards which reverberated through the silent house. He thought about what he'd accidentally called his blonde student. 'Why did I call him sensei? Is it because he looks and acts so much like sensei? I've got to get my act together. The only reason is that he's sensei's son. That must be it.'He was so deeply immersed in his thoughts that he didn't realise that he'd reached the door to his room and had stopped outside. He opened the door and hobbled inside, collapsing on the futon.

'I think he's hiding his true abilities. He must have a reason for not telling me. I really hope he'll trust me enough to tell me on his own terms.' Kakashi concluded. With these last thoughts, he drifted into the sweet, comforting embrace of sleep.

**A/N: Well, this chapter is, as I've said, mostly filler. Please don't hate me. I'll try to put the Haku-Naruto encounter and hopefully the battle in the next chapter. Someone please tell me what Haku did to Zabuza when he threw senbon into his neck, because I seriously don't know. I'm sorry, and thank you for supporting my story thus far. Please review, thank you. **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Well, I'm still trying to get the story to move on… Poll is still open, but the battle on the bridge might be in the next chapter so… I apologise to those who wanted Haku to stay male because a majority of the people who voted wanted him to be female. I'll be doing… you'll see, but only for this chapter. **

**Maj156: Thank you. That helped.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and I haven't done this in a while. **

Chapter 12: Haku

**MINATO**

The days flew by, and Sasuke nailed the tree walking exercise. Both Sasuke and Sakura now had bridge duty, leaving me the only one who had yet to prove to Kakashi my tree walking skills. It was early morning and I'd sneaked out once again for personal training, only this time in my original form, so that I could perform Hiraishin if Zabuza decided to attack the bridge. I smiled and fingered my hitai-ate, reliving the time I had spent with Kushina. Kushina had always been so spunky, so full of life, that it was hard to imagine that she now lay in a grave. My eyes misted and a tear made its way down my whiskered cheek. I wiped it away with the heel of my palm and lay down on the grass, inadvertently dozing off.

**HAKU**

I was gathering herbs to heal my master, Zabuza. I was picking some when I noticed a patch of yellow in the grass. I drew closer, curious about this mysterious yellow thing, drawing a senbon in case it proved to be dangerous. The closer I got, the more humanoid features I noticed. 'Big Bird' was the first thing that came to mind before I realised that it was actually a human with blonde hair, not a giant chicken with yellow feathers from Sesame street. 'She looks like that boy from the team guarding our target.' I thought. 'Maybe I should kill her just in case.' I pondered, bringing the senbon near 'her' heart. I blushed when I noticed that 'her' chest was completely flat. 'Oh god! She's male!' I faltered, 'and hot!' I added as an afterthought. Though I couldn't see it, I'm sure I was blushing.

Suddenly, a warm hand wrapped around my wrist and gripped it so hard, the senbon fell out of my grasp. I gasped, turning to the blonde lady, no, man. "What are you doing?" the blond man asked gently. His impossibly blue eyes bore right through me, down to my soul. I swear I felt my blush spread and I'm willing to bet that my cheeks were as red as this man's eyes were azure despite my pale complexion. "Are you okay?" he asked tenderly, his blue eyes filled with concern. I nodded my head, not trusting my voice to work. "Well then, what were you doing with that senbon?" he asked placidly, as if I had not just tried to kill him.

"I was afraid you might attack me." I lied, feeling the blush recede.

"Well, I'm not, so you don't have to. Besides, I was sleeping. How am I supposed to attack you in my sleep?" he smiled serenely at me and my heart nearly stopped, the blush coming back on again.

**MINATO**

"What's your name?" she asked, regaining her composure.

"It's more polite to give your name before asking for another's you know?" I informed her, my smile still in place.

"My name's Haku. What's yours?" She tried again.

"That's better. I'm known by many names, but just call me Minato." I said, reaching out to tuck a chocolate brown lock behind her ear. I didn't understand why her face suddenly became red, like Hinata's whenever she saw me.

**HAKU**

I could have sworn the temperature shot up 10 degrees. "So, what are you doing here?" Minato asked, glancing at her basket full of herbs.

"Gathering herbs. My friend is sick." I replied, noticing another one that I needed. I wound my fingers around the flimsy stalk and tugged gently, the roots giving way, leaving the plant dangling in the air, dirt trapped between its roots. I shook off the dirt and tossed it into the basket, emphasizing my point.

"Let me help you." Minato offered.

"Alright. You just have to find this plant." I told him, picking an herb from my basket and showing it to him.

"Will do." Minato said cheerfully, finding one and gently easing it out of the ground before dropping it into my basket. His movements were so graceful, very different from Zabuza-sama's lumbering gait.

**MINATO **

We spent the entirety of the morning gathering herbs for Zabuza. I knew that Haku was the fake Oi-nin and was about to unseal my tanto and kill her when she startled me with a question. "Are you a ninja?" she had asked. I found the question rather ridiculous as the hitai-ate around my neck gave away my status as a shinobi.

"Yes, why do you ask?" I smiled, waiting for her answer.

"Were you training?" she asked, plucking another herb.

"Of course." I replied, wondering where this was going.

She looked me in the eye and asked, "Why do you train so hard? Is it for yourself, for someone, for revenge? Why do you train?"

"I train to protect the people precious to me." I let another smile grace my lips.

"Good. Only when you're protecting someone precious to you can you truly become strong." She bade me farewell and left, leaving me with these words to think about. I watched her retreating figure before standing up and turning back, sensing Sasuke approaching.

I dusted myself off and watched as Haku and Sasuke crossed paths. "Will wonders never cease. Sasuke actually came to check up on me." I taunted.

"I didn't, idiot. I just came here to escape. This boy, he keeps stalking us, and then Tazuna started telling us about this man called Kaiza." He drawled.

"Well, tell me about it." I begged. He then told me about Kaiza. How he was the village's hero, but was executed by Gato in the end. Now, because their beacon had disappeared, they were living with their heads down, getting cowed by Gato. I sensed Kakashi and Sakura approaching, and stopped all conversations with Sasuke. When they arrived, Kakashi challenged my competency in tree-walking. I decided to fail yet again to have an excuse to stay near the house because the possibility that Gato would send someone to the house and take a hostage was high. I ran up to the halfway mark before forcing more chakra into my foot than necessary and was launched off the tree. Kakashi shook his head and told me to continue training.

**KAKASHI**

Naruto flew off the trunk again. I shook my head in disappointment, not sure what to make of it. Maybe he just had incredible luck, or maybe there was a reason he did it. Then it hit me like a tsunami. Hostages! Gato could take hostages if we left the house unguarded! I told Naruto to keep on training, my suspicions that he was hiding something still in place. I hoped that, one day, he would trust me enough to tell me. I called for them to follow me back to the house for a nice uninterrupted breakfast.

**INARI**

I was still upset with Grandpa for telling them about Dad. I hated the ninja for trying to be heroes. There was no such thing. No one could oppose Gato. I found the blond one alone in his room and had had enough. I screamed at the blond one that he didn't know anything about pain and suffering. I expected him to look ashamed or something, but his reaction was the complete opposite from what I was expecting. He looked straight in my eyes and said, "I know how you feel, but there are people out there who are worse off than you. You didn't have to watch as your entire family was slaughtered in front of you by your own brother, you didn't have to watch as your father was ridiculed by his comrades until committed seppuku, you didn't have your entire village hating you for something you have no control over, so don't think your life is that miserable. You still have your mother and grandfather and they love you very much. Don't worry about Gato, you let _us_ worry about that. Ninja are stronger than you think. There will always be hope at the end of a rainbow."

"But there isn't a rainbow." I sniffled, glancing at Dad's picture. Then the blond did something totally unexpected. He did something with his hands and fingers and a lot of water came out of his mouth! The water went out the window and the light refracted off the water droplets and created a rainbow. He actually created a rainbow! Then he stopped spouting water and the rainbow stayed for a few seconds before it faded away into the landscape.

"There is now," he said while the rainbow was still there. I smiled and he returned it with his own. Somehow, that smile filled me with hope, and I felt I could trust him.

**MINATO**

After giving Inari a pep talk, I left the room and took a walk around the village. True to Tazuna's word, there were signs of poverty everywhere. This only fuelled my determination to end Gato's reign and also, his life. Having seen enough, I went back to the clearing, where I stayed for the rest of the day, going back only when the sky looked like the twilight zone with the clouds obscuring everything. I slept that night, because it was nearing the end of the week and Zabuza could have already recovered. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore Sasuke's light snores.

**A/N: I'm so sorry this chapter is so short. Apparently, FemHaku wins by a landslide and a living Haku is a shoo in. Zabuza is still going to end up dead. Please don't hate me for making this so short. I'll try harder next chapter. **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Battle with Zabuza finally. I was getting tired of fillers. Poll is closed, obviously. I'm saying Haku doesn't know about the infamous Yondaime Hokage because she was too young, and they were already embroiled in civil war, and after that, Minato died, so he was most likely taken off the later editions of the bingo books. I don't think anyone would go bounty hunting for a dead man. **

**Tikitorch559: I don't think I wrote that he used Hiraishin in front of Iruka. Minato is naturally fast, so being able to kill Mizuki so quickly has nothing to do with Hiraishin. After all, he was able to catch a baby Naruto who was in freefall nyan… **

Chapter 13: Bridge

Haku had returned from gathering herbs and noticed that her master was up and about. He was reading an old bingo book that he'd found, probably out of boredom. "Are you going to attack the bridge tomorrow?" She asked, setting down the basket of herbs. Her master just grunted, which probably meant a 'yes'. "I met this man in the forest today. He was from Konoha but I don't remember seeing him with the bridge builder." She said serenely, and her master grunted again.

"You're so inattentive. Just tell me what he looks like." Zabuza finally spoke.

"Well, he's blond," she started.

"Must be that blond gaki. He damn near broke my arm with that weird windmill shuriken of his." Zabuza concluded, flipping another page of the bingo book.

"He's definitely not the kid. He looked older than me, and a bit girly too. I mistook him for a lady when I saw him." She contradicted. "He also doesn't have whisker marks on his cheeks. The only similarities he has to the blond kid are his hair and his eyes." She continued. Zabuza's eyes widened a bit and he flipped pages frantically, trying to find something.

"What weapons did he use? Did he tell you his name?" Zabuza asked, staring at something in the bingo book.

"Well, he didn't have any weapons with him, but he did tell me his name. He said his name was Minato." She concluded. "Why?" she asked, turning to her master. He was staring wide-eyed at the bingo book, his hands shaking. He turned the bingo book around for her to see.

"Did he look like this?" He asked, showing her a picture of the man she'd met that morning.

"Namikaze Minato… So he's in the bingo book. What's so scary about it?" Haku asked, puzzled.

"He's dead. He died twelve years ago." Zabuza growled, throwing the bingo book across the room.

"But he was clearly there. He stopped me from stabbing him and he even picked herbs with me. I saw him with my own eyes." Haku argued lightly as she boiled some water. "Never mind. There must be some good explanation for this, but if you see him again, never engage him in a battle." Zabuza cautioned.

"Why are you so worried about me all of a sudden? I'm your tool, nothing more." She said earnestly without a hint of sarcasm. Zabuza was at a loss for words. He settled for picking up his book and resuming his reading. That night, Haku lay in bed, listening to his master's snores. 'That man in the forest didn't snore.' She thought, her cheeks heating up. 'Why does it get so hot every time I think about him?' She wondered, as an image of him surfaced in her mind and her cheeks flushed again. 'Forget it. I'll think about it tomorrow.' She turned over and went to sleep.

Night gave way to morning as the sun rose and the moon relinquished its throne. Twilight was chased away by the warm rays of the sun as people awoke and went about their days. Tazuna's household was no exception. The team had gathered for breakfast in the dining room and Inari was looking a lot less sullen. After having their breakfast in silence, Tazuna and Team 7, with the exception of Minato, went off to the bridge. Minutes later, Minato left as well, leaving Inari and Tsunami alone in the house.

Minato set up alarm seals around the house before leaping off into the forest to train. A mere 5 minutes later, something tripped the alarm seals he'd set up. He jolted and used Hiraishin to get back to the house. He appeared in the bedroom he shared with Sasuke and flew out the door, tanto in hand. He raced down the corridor and appeared in the living room, where Tsunami was just opening the door, enough to reveal two people armed with katana. Minato dashed towards the door and beheaded the two samurai before anyone could react.

Tsunami was just opening the door when something warm and sticky made contact with her body. She looked out the door and screamed. The two people outside were now collapsed on the ground, blood pooling from their necks and missing their heads. She put her hands over her eyes and screamed as hard as she could. A hand suddenly went over her mouth and she peeked out from between her fingers. Upon seeing who it was, she heaved a small, shaky sigh of relief. It was the blond one… Naruto was it? Then she noticed that he was holding a bloody tanto in his hand, scarlet liquid dripping off of the gleaming blade and onto the floor. Her eyes widened at the sight but she managed to keep from screaming again.

"Go back inside and stay there until either of us gets back. I'm going to set up some traps. Wash the blood off and make sure Inari doesn't see you like this. He might freak out." Minato told her gently, smiling reassuringly. He then went back outside and made a few hand seals before burning the bodies with a "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu." After making sure the bodies were charred beyond recognition, he scattered the ashes and began working furiously around the perimeter of the house, setting up various traps that would prove fatal to anyone with hostile intentions.

After making sure the house was secure, he performed Hiraishin yet again and found himself in a giant dome of ice. Sasuke was facing off against Haku. Haku was winning, if Sasuke's uncanny resemblance to a hedgehog was any indication. Minato saw Haku preparing to launch another attack and deflected all the senbon before they could reach Sasuke. When the barrage stopped, the deflected senbon clattered to the floor, causing the occupants of the dome to freeze out of shock. Sasuke looked over to Minato and berated him, "You idiot! Why did you come in here? You could have helped me from outside!"

"Well, I thought I'd have been of more help inside rather than outside." Minato lied, smiling sheepishly, noticing the Sharingan spinning furiously in his team mate's eyes. Sasuke turned away, mumbling something that sounded like "idiot". Minato smiled at his team mate and sealed his tanto. They stood back to back, waiting for their opponent to make her move. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Haku emerging from her mirror to attack him. For what reason, he didn't know. Perhaps because his vibrant hair was an easier target. Minato waited for her to approach, keeping his eyes on her the entire time. When she got close enough, he grabbed her wrists, twisted them behind her back and pushed her to the ground in one fluid motion. The end result was him straddling her back, still maintaining a tight grip on her wrists. The senbon clattered out of her hands and fell to the floor.

Haku was shocked beyond belief. The blond could actually keep up with her even in the ice dome! His grip caused Minato's face to surface in her mind's eye. She turned her head to look at her captor, noticing that the raven haired boy had turned around, his Sharingan still active. There was a look of shock and… was that jealousy? 'I cannot allow myself to become obsolete!' she thought, kicking both her legs towards her captor's back, but it was all in vain. He grasped both her wrists in one hand and stopped her legs with the other. Haku struggled and bucked, trying to get him off her back or at least get her hands out of his grip, but he was too strong. Suddenly, she felt something make contact with her neck, but had no time to register what it was before darkness rushed to greet her. She was unconscious before her head hit the floor.

'Naruto' watched as the ice mirrors shattered and disappeared. Sasuke was still staring at him in shock, his kunai still in his hand as his blond team mate unmasked the Oi-nin to reveal the pale face of the girl he'd crossed paths with in the forest. "So we've won. Let's go help Kakashi-sensei." Said raven haired boy concluded, turning in the direction of their sensei's battle. The sound of metal assaulted his ears and he whipped around in time to witness 'Naruto' positioning his tanto over the fake Oi-nin's heart. "What are you doing Naruto!" he questioned, panic slowly ebbing into his voice.

"Killing her. What does it look like I'm doing?" 'Naruto' replied, his voice devoid of all emotion.

"Have you gone mad? We can't kill her."

"She's an enemy. She has to be killed. That's the way of a shinobi."

"Fine. Do whatever you want to do." Sasuke turned away.

Minato repositioned his sword and jerked his tanto downwards, feeling it pierce through flesh. Only, it didn't belong to Haku. Zabuza was impaled on his tanto, his body full of wounds, possibly sustained from the fight with Kakashi. Minato withdrew his tanto, watching a growing pool of blood spreading around his enemy's body. Blood stained the pristine white bandages around the Mist Jounin's face.

Kakashi was glancing around the mist, searching for Zabuza, his Sharingan spinning wildly in his socket, when he felt Zabuza's chakra spike. The mist started to clear and he noticed a crumpled figure on the ground. He walked over, a kunai in his hand. He made out the face of a girl and brown hair, stowing his kunai when he noticed that Zabuza's assistant was unconscious. He bent down as the fake Oi-nin started to rouse, groaning as she struggled to get herself up. "Awake, sleepyhead?" he teased.

She stared blankly into his face before uttering, "Where is Zabuza-sama?"

"I don't know. Come with me, we're going to see my students. Make one wrong move and you're dead." Kakashi said, helping her up on her feet and leading her towards the three Gennin.

The first thing Haku saw when the group came into view was the four of them clustered around something. "Oh my god I think you killed him!" the pink haired girl squeaked, before running to the side of the bridge and balking. The raven haired boy just stood by the bridge builder apathetically, looking down at something. The group parted when they saw the two, revealing Zabuza's body, bleeding out onto the bridge, his life blood seeping into the cobblestones.

Kakashi glanced at the body, then at his students, and was shocked to see Zabuza on the floor with a stab wound near his abdomen, just below his heart. The most shocking thing was Naruto. His visage was expressionless, and his eyes that were normally spilling over with warmth were now ice cold. Although he was relatively spotless, he held a bloody tanto in his grip, dried blood crusting on the blade. Scarlet liquid was running down it and collecting at the tip, where it slowly dripped onto the floor.

Minato looked up at the new comers from the stab wound he'd made. It was slightly below the heart, Zabuza being larger and taller than Haku. "Kakashi-sensei." He greeted, the warmth slowly returning to his eyes.

"Haku." Zabuza groaned from his position on the floor. Haku left Kakashi's side to kneel beside his fallen master.

"Zabuza-sama!" she cried, her hands flying to Zabuza's wound, before Zabuza stopped her.

"Don't. I know I'm going to die anyway, so save your energy for something else. You always were too soft for your own good Haku. You left those brats alive to kill you." Zabuza rasped, the red on his bandages spreading.

"No! Let me heal you! You're all I have now! I can't let you die! You won't die! Zabuza-sama!" she cried, ignoring the jab, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"He nicked my heart and you're not Tsunade, so don't fool yourself." He growled, before coughs wracked his frame.

"Then tell me why." Haku choked, tears still rolling down her pale cheeks.

"I guess it's because I always thought of you as my daughter rather than a tool. I couldn't let you die." Zabuza coughed.

"Hey Kakashi, think you can let Haku join your village? She isn't registered in the bingo books so she's basically a wandering freelance ninja. Could you do me a favour and let her go with you to Konoha?" Zabuza asked, pulling down his bandages to cough another mouthful of blood, splashing across Haku's cheeks and mingling with her tears.

"I can't guarantee you that the Hokage will accept, but I'll try." Kakashi said placidly, shooting the Mist Jounin an eye-smile.

"Good. Haku, don't waste this chance." Zabuza said shakily, before a sound of clapping filled the air. They turned their attention to the head of the bridge, where a horde of bandits and samurai were standing, and at the helm was Gato.

"Looks like the big bad Demon of the Mist was just a little baby demon in the end. I wasn't really going to pay you. I was just going to let you and those ninja kill each other and my problem was solved. No ninja, no money loss." The midget taunted, leaning on his walking stick.

"Gato… you… bastard…" Zabuza said, before going silent. Kakashi pressed his fingers to the man's neck, before shaking his head. Zabuza was truly dead this time. Haku got up, using the technique her master so adored, "Ninpou: Kirigakure no Jutsu." The area was flooded with mist and one could barely see one's own nose.

Minato, who was standing nearest to Haku, noticed her muscles coil, getting ready to attack the bandits. He grabbed her arm, "Don't even think of stopping me." She hissed, showing her emotions.

"I'm not. I'm going with you." He said serenely, his crystal eyes becoming pools of ice once more. She shivered and nodded, feeling his hand release her appendage.

Minato couldn't see her through the fog after she dashed off, but her chakra signature was very distinct, cold as ice but with warm undercurrents, so he was confident that he wouldn't accidentally kill her or lop off an arm since Kakashi was willing to accept her. He ran into the mob, Gato having retreated to the safety of his hired guard. The samurai and bandits were in a state of confusion, the muting of all sounds only elevating their fear to the point it was almost palpable. He ran through the crowd, decimating the troops. Blood was spilt but not a single drop touched his person. He felt detached. He couldn't allow himself to feel anything for those people, nor could he allow himself to lose himself to blood lust.

He cut through the men, ignoring the screams of agony and fear.

Eventually, he reached the edge of the bridge where Gato was. He decapitated another samurai and cornered Gato, who was trying desperately to talk his way out, "I'll give you double these people give you if you join me. Triple! Quadruple! I'll give you all the money you want!" Minato continued advancing until Haku burst from the mist.

"He's mine." She told him apathetically. He stepped back and watched as Haku stabbed his neck with senbon.

"Zabuza was right. You really are too soft." Minato told her, ending the businessman's life. He walked back to where Zabuza lay, leaving Haku alone with Gato's body to ponder his words. The mist lifted just as he got back to the group, allowing him to inspect the damage he'd done. He noted that all of Haku's victims were not dead, merely incapacitated. He sealed his tanto and joined the others, none noticing that he'd been gone. They were all gaping at the bodies that were strewn all over the bridge and Haku who was covered in blood, standing over Gato's body. She walked back to the group and approached Minato. "Kill me." She requested simply. "I know you can do it. Kill me." She repeated.

"Why?" Minato asked, perplexed.

"Zabuza's dead now. I don't have a purpose. I'm just a tool without a master. A broken tool without a master after being defeated by you, so kill me." He begged. Minato had wanted to kill her because she was an enemy but after Gato turned on Haku and Zabuza, that no longer applied.

"I understand how you feel, but Zabuza saved you and gave you another chance to live your life in Konoha. I'm sure he'll be very disappointed if you wasted the chance he gave you by killing yourself. If you can't bear to live like this, then think of it as living for your master's sake, as his tool, no, precious person." Minato told her.

Haku let a few tears slide down her cheeks and walked towards her mater's abandoned zanbatou. "Kubikiri Houcho." She whispered, dragging it back to the group with her. Just then, another mob arrived, only it was comprised of villagers wielding various items ranging from brooms to discarded katana with Inari at the helm.

"We've come to help!" Inari shouted down to them, before noticing the bodies strewn all over the bridge. The villagers' eyes fell on the prone body of Gato and cheers went through the crowd, carrying Inari on their shoulders. Though he hadn't done anything, he'd had the courage to gather them and oppose Gato despite him being the youngest of them all. That in itself was an impressive accomplishment. Tazuna and the team couldn't help but smile at the display, gathering everything and heading home for the day.

Minato carried Kubikiri Houcho but left its owner's body to be carried by Haku. Haku stared down at her master's body for a long time, as if not believing he was actually dead. Minato walked over and put a hand on her shoulder, smiling at her when she turned to look at him. She slung his body over her shoulder and fell into step beside Minato, mourning her master's death the whole trip back to Tazuna's house. Upon reaching the house, Minato set the zanbatou beside the door, noticing that none of the traps had activated. He walked around the house, disabling the seals and traps.

He saw Haku as he wandered around the house, never leaving her master's side. They went about their day, Kakashi disposed of the bodies, Tazuna staying at home for the day. Dinner was a quiet affair. Haku had refused to talk to anyone and ate her dinner. Not a sound escaped her as she took her position next to her master's body yet again. Minato watched her as she stayed by his side, never once leaving except to go to the toilet.

That night, when he had made sure everyone was sound asleep, he exited his room and made his way down the corridor. He stood at the entrance of the corridor, staring in silence at Haku. He walked up to her and whispered tenderly, "You wanna talk?" Haku looked up at him and got up, following him up to the roof. They sat on the tiles just gazing at the stars. "I know how you feel. I've lost many precious people, but you have to move on sometime. I'm not asking you to forget about him, but live to become someone he can be proud of." Minato broke the silence. Haku remained silent.

Minato smiled gently saying, "I know this sounds cliché, but Zabuza will live on in your heart, as long as you never forget him. Find a new purpose in life."

"How would you have lost many precious people? You're just 12." Haku whispered hoarsely. Minato considered showing her. They were kindred souls after all. Both of them having lost precious people and given a second chance at life.

"I don't trust you enough to tell you so all I can say is that the truth is stranger than fiction." he replied teasingly, deciding against it. Haku turned to him, tears glistening on her cheeks.

"What?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"Nothing."

They continued to stare at the stars until Haku broke the silence, "I'm going to bury Zabuza-sama tomorrow."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I don't know."

"I'm sure you have your reasons. So, what are you going to do with Kubikiri Houcho?"

"Grave marker."

"Okay."

"Help me."

"What?"

"Help me bury him."

"Why?"

"Because I trust you."

"I wanted to kill you only hours ago and now you trust me?"

"You're a nice person. I can see the warmth in your eyes. You also comforted me."

"I could have easily killed you."

"But you didn't."

"Touché."

"So will you?"

"We'll see." Minato said, getting up and working the kinks out of his body. "Goodnight." He leaped down from the roof and landed on the ground with cat-like grace.

"Naruto."

"Yes?" Minato looked up at the girl from his position on the ground.

"Thank you."

"I don't really deserve that thanks." Minato whispered softly but loud enough for Haku to hear, remembering how he'd killed Zabuza, Haku's surrogate father of sorts. He stalked off towards the house, leaving Haku on the roof.

**A/N: Sorry I made Haku so frail. Her life revolves around Zabuza so losing him would be traumatic for her. I also made Zabuza nice. Yeah. And Minato is naturally so fast that I think that anything slower seems seriously really slow and Minato is like… how many times faster than Haku? I'm sorry. I just felt that Minato should sympathise with Haku and some such… Please don't hate me! I'll try harder not to disappoint. Please review and point out my mistakes. Thank you for your support. **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I rewrote Chapters 12-14. Anyway, I haven't updated lately because I was depressed. Really depressed. Never mind nyan.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto which is good because I can't draw anything more than a stick figure to save my life.**

Chapter 14: Konoha

"What's Konoha like?" Haku asked, forcing the shovel back into the soil.

"Well, there's a lot of greenery and you can see trees everywhere you look. It's really peaceful and the living standards are good, if that's what you're worried about," Minato replied flashing her a grin, "the ramen's awesome too!" Haku blushed and jerked the shovel outwards and upwards too vigorously, showering Minato with dirt. "Hey!" said blond shouted indignantly.

"Sorry." Haku said serenely, fighting the blush that was slowly creeping onto her cheeks as she watched Minato brush the dirt out of his hair, his warm crystal eyes squinted to keep stray pieces from getting into them.

They had gone to the hillside to dig a grave for Zabuza, Haku insisting that they dig it manually instead of using jutsu, because she wanted to honour her master's memory. Minato had 'mastered' the tree-walking exercise and proved it to Kakashi, asking the latter for permission to stay with Haku that day. Kakashi had lazily agreed and there they were, shovels in hand and a large hole waiting to be dug.

It was nearing afternoon now, and they had not made much progress on the hole between the two of them despite them being omnipotent ninja. Minato pushed the shovel back into the ground and dug out another wad of dirt. He sat back to inspect the hole and noticed that it looked odd. The hole looked more like an ink blot than a rectangle. "Haku, maybe we should mark out what we want to dig first. The hole looks wonky." Minato voiced.

"Maybe you're right. It does look a little weird." Haku replied, putting her shovel to the ground and dragging it, leaving a straight indent in the dirt. She continued on until the shape of a rectangle was carved neatly into the ground. "Let's take a break and eat first." Haku suggested as she wiped her hands on her clothes. Minato nodded and reached for the bento they'd brought with them, courtesy of Tsunami. The two ninja sat by on the hillside and ate their packed lunch before clearing everything and resuming the dig. They continued to dig within the boundaries Haku had drawn, sweat trickling from their hairline and down their cheeks. They made slow progress, but finally finished some time in the afternoon. "Who knew digging a grave would be so difficult?" Haku sighed as she sat down next to the Zabuza-sized hole in the ground.

"It _is_ harder than it sounds." Minato agreed as he sat down beside her. They sat in silence, resting their aching backs as they inspected the hole. Minato slowly righted himself and watched as Haku did the same. The brunette slowly lowered her master's body into the grave, tears welling in her eyes and sliding down her face. They dripped onto her master's face and glistened in the sunlight as she drew away from the grave. "Do you want me to fill it in?" Minato asked her softly. Haku looked away and nodded, not wanting to see her master get buried. It would only make the fact that he was dead more real. She wanted to hold on to the times she'd spent with him for just a little longer. Her eyes travelled over to the village and glazed over as she lost herself in reverie.

Minato looked over to his brown haired companion and turned back to the grave, slowly shovelling the soil back into the grave. He looked down sadly at the prone figure in the grave. Just yesterday he'd been breathing, fighting, threatening, _alive_. It was heartbreaking to see him lying in the grave, blood crusting on his bandages, dirt encompassing his body. 'Kushina.' Minato thought, tears sliding down his face. The loss of his wife seemed as fresh as ever, but he shook his head to get rid of the cobwebs and continued to toss dirt back into the grave, soon losing sight of Zabuza's body.

The filling of the grave was faster than the digging, and soon Minato was patting the soil down. Haku looked over her shoulder to see that the blond was done. She picked Kubikiri Houcho up and walked over to the grave, tears flowing down her cheeks. She raised the hilt above her head and stabbed it as hard as she could into the ground, grunting with the effort. The sword went a third into the ground and she stepped back to inspect the grave. She closed her eyes and let her tears flow freely, saying a small prayer for him in her mind. Minato turned away and took up the spot Haku had left. The two of them departed from the hill together.

Kakashi was guarding the bridge with his students when Sasuke approached him. The Uchiha had been trying out his dojutsu and familiarising himself with it, it wasn't odd that he'd ask him about something seeing as he was the only other Sharingan user there. "Sensei, what's this thing on my arm?" Sasuke questioned, his Sharingan active.

"Where?" the silver haired Jounin drawled lazily.

"Here." Sasuke pointed to a spot on his arm.

"I don't see it."

"Try using your Sharingan."

"I really don't think I should be wasting chakra on something like this."

"Then I'll tell you what it looks like. It looks like… the seals on the explosive tags, but this is more complicated."

"What?" Kakashi jolted, wide-eyed. 'Someone wants to blow my student up?' Kakashi thought, lifting his hitai-ate up and opening his Sharingan eye. What he saw stunned him. It was a seal, and it looked painfully familiar. 'Where have I seen this before?' Kakashi thought, calling his pink-haired student over.

"Yes, sensei?" Sakura asked, confusion written all over her face.

"So you have one too." Kakashi breathed, noticing the seal on her leg.

"Have what sensei?" Sakura cocked her head, clueless as to what her sensei was talking about.

"Wait!" Kakashi reached into his kunai pouch and produced a tri-pronged kunai. 'You gave this to me when I made Jounin.' Kakashi reminisced, gently flipping the kunai around to inspect the seal on the grip.

"Where did you get that sensei?" Sakura gasped.

"The Yondaime was _my_ Jounin sensei, Sakura. It was a gift for becoming a Jounin." Kakashi answered, placing the kunai near Sasuke's arm. "How long has this been there?" Kakashi asked urgently.

"I only just noticed it thanks to my Sharingan." Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Sensei's dead so there shouldn't be anyone else able to replicate the seal. It's not possible." Kakashi breathed, his eyes wide.

Minato was walking towards the small gathering on the bridge, having left Haku at Tazuna's house. "What are you three doing?" the blond inquired, curious as to what had his ex-student so flustered.

"Naruto, come here." Kakashi instructed, his eyes wide. Minato joined the huddle as Kakashi inspected him.

"You don't have one on you."

"What are you talking about sensei?"

"I found a Hiraishin seal on your team mates, but it seems as though you don't have one. Why is that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you the one who… sorry. I'm just so shocked. No one knows how to replicate sensei's seals, not even Jiraiya-sama, yet it's clearly on their bodies. Sasuke has one on his arm, Sakura has one on her thigh. Does that mean that someone got their hands on sensei's jutsu? That's very dangerous. Inform me immediately if something out of the ordinary happens or if someone appears in a flash of yellow got it?" Kakashi instructed, his seriousness stunning his students. They all nodded, promising to do as they were told. "Good. It seems that they're packing up for the day, so let's wait for Tazuna-san." Kakashi calmed down significantly.

Their client met them at the head of the bridge and they headed back to Tazuna's house and were greeted by Haku. "What happened to Zabuza's body?" Kakashi asked, looking around the living room.

"We buried him, sensei." Minato said, sparing Haku from having to say it, knowing that it would only make it even more real for her. Haku just left for the kitchen and helped Tsunami with dinner.

"Sensei, I don't think you should talk about it in front of Haku." Sakura observed.

"Oops." Kakashi eye-smiled and sheepishly scratched his head.

The days passed without incident and soon, the bridge was completed. "We couldn't have finished the bridge without you. I can't tell you how much we'll miss you. Take care." Tazuna said at the send-off.

"We'll come visit." Minato called to them.

"You swear you will?" Inari asked, his chin trembling and his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Of course! And it's okay if you want to cry; sometimes you just have to let it out." Minato smiled serenely.

"Who says I wanna cry!" Inari shouted indignantly, the tears streaming down his cheeks contradicting him. Tazuna put a hand on his head to comfort him.

Minato let another smile grace his lips as he watched the boy cry. It was heart warming, and he was glad that they were finally free of Gato's reign. Team 7 bid their last farewells to the townsfolk and set off towards the village along with Haku, who had visited Zabuza's grave beforehand with Team 7 to say their last goodbyes. "We'll name it the Great Naruto Bridge!" rang out behind them, startling the group bound for Konoha.

When they recovered from the shock Kakashi turned and eye-smiled at his blond student, "Well, looks like you have a landmark named after you." Minato kept quiet and fell into step beside Haku.

"We're finally going to Konoha. I wonder what it'll be like." Haku mused.

"It's rather humid for one, and I don't think it's as cold as your hometown, but it's amazing in it's own way. You'll see." Minato smiled at the brunette and watched as her face went pink.

"Are you okay? Do you have a fever? Should I get sensei?" Minato flustered, putting a hand to Haku's forehead, causing her cheeks to become even redder.

"I'm okay." Haku said and pulled away from Minato. 'Weird girl. She does the same thing as Hinata.' Minato thought.

"Hey! Naruto! Me and Sasuke are going out to eat later. Wanna join us?" Sakura called over to her blond team mate.

"It's 'Sasuke and I' and yes I'd love to." Minato responded. Sakura fumed at having to be corrected and took up a position beside her love interest. They reached the gates around evening.

Team 7 headed straight to the Hokage Tower for mission report, not having much trouble with the Chunin on gate duty. Haku walked alongside Minato, staring around the village in awe. She caught sight of the Hokage Monument and tugged on Minato's sleeve, "Naruto, what's that? Why are there faces in the cliff?"

"That's the Hokage Monument. Basically, the heads of the four who once led the village are carved into the cliff as a tribute. The current Hokage in office is the third." Minato informed the brunette.

"What happened to the fourth? Why isn't he the one ruling this village?" Haku questioned.

"It's not ruling as per se, but the fourth died twelve years ago." Minato told her.

Haku gazed up at the fourth's head and whispered a question, "What was his name, the one who died twelve years ago?"

"According to the academy textbooks, his name was Namikaze Minato-sama." Sakura chimed in, having listened in on their banter. Haku stiffened and stopped in the middle of the road. "What? Did I say something wrong?" Sakura asked, perplexed.

Haku resumed her walking, falling into step beside Minato and Sakura saying, "No, you didn't I'm sorry. It's just… I know this sounds crazy, but I met him in the forest right before I met… Sasuke." She struggled to remember the Uchiha's name.

"That's impossible! He died-" Sakura was cut off.

"Twelve years ago. I know. Zabuza-sama said the same thing." Haku finished.

"We're here. Let's go in." Kakashi interrupted their talk. They entered the tower, Haku glancing around, trying to take everything in at once. They finally entered the Hokage's office, finding the Third Hokage sitting behind his desk, going through paperwork. He looked up as they came in and noticed Haku. "Mission report." He commanded and Kakashi launched into his report about how the mission went from a C-rank to a B and possible A-rank.

The Hokage just listened and nodded knowingly as Kakashi gave his mission report. "So you want me to let this young lady become a citizen of Konoha and possibly a ninja in our forces?" Sarutobi asked, sceptically eying Haku, receiving a nod of confirmation. "Well, I will trust your judgement Kakashi, but who's going to house her while I arrange an apartment for her?" Sarutobi stared at Kakashi, who shook his head.

"I will." Minato offered. Sarutobi nodded curtly, and addressed Haku.

"Your name is Haku?" receiving a nod from the brunette. "Well, what would you say is your area of expertise?" The Hokage inquired.

"I'm good with medicine and it's also my preference because I don't think I have the heart to kill someone. I can fight with my kekkei genkai, and I pride myself in my speed… I used to until Naruto defeated me in terms of speed." Haku said, hesitant about telling the Hokage about her kekkei genkai.

Sarutobi, seeing Haku's nervousness laughed heartily and reassured her, "Don't worry. We practically worship anyone with a kekkei genkai. They're an incredible asset in battle. So, what's yours?"

"Hyoton." Haku answered simply.

"I thought they were all wiped out during the bloodline purge. Apparently not! Well Haku, welcome to Konohagakure. Would you settle for being a Chunin Field Medic? Though we're not in need of those for now, you can work at the hospital. How does that sound?" Sarutobi asked kindly.

"That's more than I could have hoped for. Thank you very much Hokage-sama." Haku sank into a deep bow.

"Now, now. There's no need for that. Just serve your village well and carry on the Will of Fire. I wish you luck in your new career Haku." Sarutobi laughed, his eyes dancing with mirth.

"I'll show you to my house and after that we can meet up with Sasuke and Sakura at the bridge!" Minato said enthusiastically, practically dragging Haku along.

"How odd. He never acted like that during the mission. Oh well. Maybe he has Multiple Personality Disorder." Kakashi shrugged and left through the window. Minato pulled Haku through the streets towards his apartment where he finally stopped. Haku was panting from having to keep up with him.

"Sorry Haku." Minato apologised, ushering her up to his apartment.

"It's rather well kept. I was expecting something really messy." Haku marvelled, walking around the apartment. 'Kushina always forced me to keep the house clean, whether I liked it or not.' Minato groused inwardly, before sadness washed over him, knowing that Kushina wouldn't be there to nag at him anymore.

"Well, this is the guest room. You'll be sleeping in here." Minato showed her the room.

"I thought you'd make me sleep on the couch or something." Haku said, astonished.

"Why would I?" Minato cocked his head, eliciting a blush from Haku.

"Thank you for the lodgings. I'll find a way to repay you." Haku turned away to hide the blush lest the dense blond think she was sick again.

"No, it's okay. Now let's go meet my team mates at the bridge and we can go for dinner together!" Minato chirped, taking Haku's hand and leading her out the door, locking it as they went. Minato was moving slower on their walk to the bridge, so as not to tax Haku.

Upon arriving on the bridge, Sasuke and Sakura waited patiently for their blond team mate and were surprised when he turned up with Haku in tow. The picture of 'Naruto' standing over Haku's prone figure with a bloody tanto in hand, poised to strike, assaulted Sasuke's mind. He shook his head vigorously, not wanting to believe that his bubbly blond team mate could be as cold as his traitorous brother, Itachi.

"Hey! I was wondering if Haku could come along with us for dinner!" Minato asked cheerily, receiving a stoic nod from Sasuke. They made their way to Ichiraku's, Minato having used his big crystal blue eyes and I'm-irresistibly-cute pout to win them over. Dinner found the four at Ichiraku's eating ramen. Minato was inhaling bowl after bowl yet retaining most of his dignity when Haku turned to look at the rest of Team 7, who were ignoring the staggering pile of bowls and calmly eating their dinner. "Erm… Is he always like this?" Haku asked Sakura figuring that she was the most approachable besides the ramen guzzling boy.

"Yeah, he's a ramen junkie. You'll get used to it." Sakura answered and went back to her own ramen. Haku looked at the blond beside her who was still eating the ramen like there was no tomorrow. She shrugged and went back to her ramen. 'Naruto was right when he said that the ramen was awesome.' She remembered the blond's comment back in wave. After the hearty meal, they parted ways and left for their respective homes.

Minato and Haku were walking back to the apartment when Minato exclaimed, "Haku, there's something I wanna show you!" and proceeded to drag her towards the Hokage Monument. They arrived on top of the Shodai's head at the Hokage Monument. Haku looked down upon the village and gasped in awe at the beauty of the village from their vantage point. "That's not all. Look up." Minato whispered into her ear. The latter did as she was told and was lost for words.

When she finally found her voice, she breathed, "It's beautiful!" star struck. The night was clear and the moon took centre stage. The stars shimmered in the blanket of darkness in a myriad of white, rosy pink and slight tinges of orange. The darkness only served to enhance the glow of the millions of stars that dotted the sky. "Isn't it?" Minato breathed from beside her, as a shooting star blazed across the sky. When Haku finally managed to tear her eyes away, she let her eyes drift towards Minato. "Welcome to Konoha, Haku!" Minato grinned, the picturesque night sky backing him.

**A/N: Please don't flame me. I had to deal with my annoying sister today. Couldn't really concentrate. Those with really irritating siblings will know what I mean.** **Sorry for all the negative vibes. Please review. Thank you.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Konyanyachiwa! (I know it's wrong.) I got over my depression nyan! I'm not sure but I think now's the start of the Chunin exam arc… I'll do my best nyan! Someone please tell me what Jiraiya's first book was called. The one that's not Icha-Icha. It would be nice if someone told me how dog's react to things and stuff because I'm not a dog trainer.**

**Seeker of the Stars- Haku doesn't know Naruto is Minato because Minato didn't tell him in the end. I rewrote Chap 12-14. Thx for the advice by the way.**

**Wolfsbane-nin- Thanks! I really wanna know how you did that face. I just can't get the symbols to go in the right places.**

**Inuyonas- Thank you. That means a lot to me.**

**BTB –Wow! I didn't know that! Shirley Manson must be really attention starved… kinda like Naruto?**

**Jayley- Minato is Naruto. I just don't know what to do with Naruto's soul! Argh!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto. **

Chapter 15: Chunin Nomination

"Haku, you're starting work today right?" Minato mumbled through his ramen.

"Yes, and I'd better hurry or I'm going to be late." Haku replied, gathering the dishes and placing them in the sink.

"I'll wash the dishes for you. My sensei is always late anyways." Minato called to Haku.

"Thanks. See you later." Haku said as she left the apartment.

Minato slowly washed the dishes, thinking about the mission. They might not be getting anymore C-ranks after the mission to Wave, and the Chunin exams were coming up. 'We're probably going to be taking the exams next year, since we're just fresh out of the academy. Kakashi probably won't do anything too ridiculous and allow us to take the exams.' Minato thought as he placed the dishes on the rack to dry. He dried his hands and returned to his room, where he swapped his pyjamas for his usual attire, orange jumpsuit and all. He strapped his kunai pouch to his thigh and swiped a book from the bookcase. "Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Ninja… Sensei, where are you now?" Minato flipped the book open as he left via the window. He hopped from rooftop to rooftop, his eyes never leaving the book.

Upon reaching the bridge, he noticed Sasuke already there. "Where's Sakura?" Minato inquired, receiving a shrug for an answer. Not long after, Sakura arrived. "You're normally here before I am. What happened?" Minato asked.

"Had to help out in the store." Sakura replied simply. Minato nodded, knowing that Sakura came from a civilian family.

"Yo! Sorry I'm late. I got lost." Kakashi raised a hand in greeting and shot them an eye-smile. "Let's go get a mission from the Hokage." Kakashi eye-smiled again, leading them to the Hokage Tower. Soon, they found themselves pulling weeds in some old lady's garden. She was cultivating herbs and had hired them to do the weeding for her. Minato watched as their sensei was invited into the house for tea and created a few Kage Bunshin to lighten the workload. They managed to finish weeding just as their sensei exited the house. "I step inside for a while and when I come out, you're already done. Well done." Kakashi applauded, shooting them another eye-smile.

Minutes later, they found themselves in the river picking rubbish, their sensei resting by the riverbank in the shade of a tree. Minato glanced over at him and inwardly chastised him for reading his old-sensei's smut. The rubbish picking mission went without incident, Minato creating more Kage Bunshin to help with the menial task, resigning himself to doing horrible D-ranks until the effect of the Wave incident blew over or until he made Chunin.

They took up another mission in which they had to walk dogs. Minato volunteered to walk the largest dog, doubting that either of his team mates would have the patience or strength to deal with it. As soon as he took the leash, the dog began to yank at it and would have dragged him along if he had not held it back. He put a hand on its chin and began to scratch, finding the 'sweet spot'. They began to walk the dogs, the dog he was walking was generally subdued until they neared the trap field. There was a rip in the fence and, for some reason, the dog was dead set on entering. He immediately tied the leash to a tree and watched it tug fruitlessly. He bent down and scratched behind its ear and noticed as it stopped. The dog then closed its eyes and let Minato scratch behind his ear, the latter hoping the dog was trained. "Sasuke, help me untie the leash." Minato called to his team mate who was standing next to Sakura. The ebony-haired boy led the dog he was in charge of by the leash and untied the leash around the tree, his own still in hand. Sasuke grabbed the leash in his free hand and tossed it to the blond, the latter snatching it out of the air. The team then continued walking the dogs, the large dog forgetting about the traps in favour of ears scratches from Minato, who was leading the dog along and scratching behind the dog's ears.

"I really hope that dog didn't have fleas." Minato said nonchalantly as they left for the Hokage Tower once more. Haku's face surfaced in Sasuke's min, 'Damn it, this pisses me off! There are people out there that are stronger than me, yet they're making me do all these stupid missions,' he thought, clenching his fists.

"Is there something wrong, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, glancing over at him.

"No. I'm okay." Sasuke replied, returning to being his usual apathetic self.

"Let's call it quits for today. I'm going to submit the mission report." Kakashi voiced, turning in the direction of the Hokage Tower.

"I'm going home." Sasuke declared and walked off on another path in the T-junction. Sakura and Minato were the only ones left at the intersection.

Minato was about to head to the training grounds when Sakura cried out, "What is that?" Minato whipped around and saw a one-foot tall brick wall shuffling over to them. He recognised one of the chakra signatures inside the box and frowned, 'Konohamaru's hiding abilities are lacking.'

"Konohamaru, what are you doing?" Minato asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"As expected from my Onii-san!" a muffled voice announced from inside the square rock. There was an explosion and three children emerged, coughing and hacking. "I think you put too much gunpowder." Konohamaru coughed. Minato and Sakura just stared at the three children on the floor. Then, the orange haired girl struck a pose and introduced herself as Moegi, the bespectacled one following suit not long after, introducing himself as Udon. Konohamaru ended the sequence by posing at the helm and shouting his name.

"What are you three doing here?" Minato questioned.

"We want you to play ninja with us!" Konohamaru shouted.

"What's the point of a ninja playing ninja?" Sakura muttered, irritated by the 'Konohamaru Corps', as the three called themselves.

"Onii-san, who is this girl?" Konohamaru asked on behalf of the three Academy students including himself. 'She's been staring at him so intensely.' Konohamaru thought, a frown creasing his brow before a light bulb went off in his head. "I see you've finally exercised your charms on someone." Konohamaru grinned slyly.

"Hmm?" Minato stared at Konohamaru, not sure where this was going.

"Is she your…" Konohamaru stuck out his pinky.

"What are you talking about?" Minato cocked his head as Sakura began turning red.

"Sakura! Are you sick or something? Maybe you've caught what Haku had! Do you need me to get a doctor?" Minato asked, flustered.

"No, you idiot!" Sakura launched her right fist at Minato's cheek. Minato caught it and looked at his pink haired team mate, a puzzled expression on his face. Sakura lashed out with her left fist which was also caught by the blond.

"What did I say?" Minato's puzzled expression still in place.

"To think you're actually dating this violent, flat chested, tomboyish…" Konohamaru quieted as Sakura turned her attention to him and cracked her knuckles menacingly, fire burning in her eyes, the demon looming behind her. Sakura began to sprint after them, tears streaming from Konohamaru's eyes as he ran for his life. "Is she really a girl?" escaped his lips as he raced around the corner.

Suddenly, Konohamaru collided into someone and fell onto his rump. Two teens were towering over him. One of them was a blond female with a battle fan strapped to her back. Her hair was pulled back into four ponytails and her hitai-ate was tied around her neck. A disapproving look was painted on her face and her hands were planted firmly on her hips. The one Konohamaru had bumped into was wearing war paint on his face and had a bandaged figure strapped to his back. His expression mirrored his companions and his hands were tucked into his pockets. 'Suna-nin. Are they here for the Chunin exams?' Minato wondered.

"That hurt gaki." The male teen drawled as he stared down at the boy at his feet. He reached down and picked the brown-haired child up and gripped the latter's neck. Konohamaru grabbed his captor's wrist, trying desperately to free himself. "That hurt gaki." The teen repeated.

"Stop it. We're going to get scolded later." The blonde one of the two sighed, letting her gaze drift over to where they came from back to her companion.

"Sorry. We were just joking around." Sakura apologised, inwardly wondering who these people were.

"Please let go of Konohamaru." Minato said calmly, tensing his muscles if the situation got worse.

"But I want to play a little before someone comes." The teen drawled lazily, not unlike a certain silver-haired Jounin, and proceeded to tighten his grip on Konohamaru's throat.

"Please release him. I don't want to have to fight." Minato stated, his voice unwavering.

"Konoha Gennin are so weak. You look really girly you know. Are you sure you're male?" the Suna-nin taunted as he tightened his grip on Konohamaru's neck further. Suddenly the teen found himself on the floor before he had a chance to blink. The blond boy he'd just insulted standing imperiously over him, Konohamaru in his arms.

"I warned you. And I advise you not to attack the Hokage's grandson, unless you want to start a war." Minato said apathetically, setting Konohamaru down gently. 'He's really not that bad looking.' The blonde Suna teen thought, allowing a blush to form on her cheeks.

"As expected from Onii-san!" Konohamaru bragged to his two friends. Minato sensed someone in the trees exuding malice and bloodlust but kept his eyes trained on the teen in front of him.

The male Suna-nin got to his feet and growled, "You piss me off. I hate kids like you who think they're so great." The male Suna-nin grabbed a strip of bandage trailing from the figure on his back and yanked on it, revealing a tuft of brown.

"Oi! You're going to use Karasu?" the female Suna-nin shouted, panic evident in her voice. The bandages danced in the air around the male Suna-nin as he placed the figure on the floor.

"Kankuro. Stop. You're a disgrace to the village." A hollow voice rang out. The group directed their eyes towards the trees in unison and noticed a read-headed male hanging from a tree branch by his feet. The read-head's arms were crossed and he stared down at the group imperiously. He had dark rings accentuating his eyes which were a smooth teal colour, and there was the Kanji for 'love' on the left side of his forehead. There was also a giant gourd strapped to his back and a plate with the Suna emblem sewed onto the strap.

"G-Gaara." The newly identified Kankuro stuttered, visibly subdued.

"Why do you think we came all the way here to Konoha?" Gaara continued.

"Listen, Gaara. These guys started it." Kankuro said in his defence.

"Shut up or I'll kill you." Gaara said calmly, blood lust emanating from his words.

"I'm at fault. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." Kankuro apologised, holding his hands up to placate the red-head.

"Please excuse him you guys." Gaara drawled from the branch. 'I don't like the look of those eyes.' Minato frowned inwardly. 'He's good.' Gaara thought, staring at the blond Konoha-nin. The red-head used a shunshin and appeared next to the other two Suna-nin. "Let's go. We didn't come here to fool around." Gaara muttered, turning to his team mates.

"I know." Kankuro said, the three turning to leave.

Sakura moved to ask them what they were here for when Minato grabbed her arm and said, "They're here for the bi-annual Chunin exams, Sakura," as if he'd read her mind. Sakura just nodded.

"Wait!" Minato called, trying to get the three Suna-nin's attention. They stopped and turned slightly.

"My name's Naruto. What's yours?" Minato continued.

"Me?" the blonde Suna-nin asked, a smile playing on her lips and a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"It would be nice to you're your name, but I really want to know the name of the one with the gourd on his back since I didn't quite catch it just now." Minato smiled placidly at the Suna-nin.

The blush spread as she mumbled, "My name's Sabaku no Temari."

"Sabaku no Gaara. I'm also interested in you." The red-head turned around fully and stared Minato in the eye. They turned around and took off, Gaara in the lead. 'There are three more still in the trees.' Minato turned to look at the source and found three more Gennin with musical notes on their hitai-ate.

Meanwhile, in a certain room in the Hokage Tower, the nomination of the teams that would be taking the Chunin exams was taking place. "So? When is it?" a crimson eyed lady named Kurenai asked.

"One week from now." Sarutobi announced.

"That's sudden." Kakashi drawled, his eyes widening a fraction.

"Then I'll make an official announcement. 7 days from now on the 1st of July, we will begin the Chunin selection exams." Sarutobi informed those who were in the room. "Now, those who are in charge of new Gennin teams please step forth." Sarutobi commanded. Three Jounin advanced, one of them being Kakashi. "Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai. Are there any Gennin you wish to enter into the exams among the ones you teach? You probably already know this, but any Gennin that has accomplished more than 8 missions are eligible to enter through your recommendation. But normally, those that have done twice that amount are more suited…" Sarutobi continued. "Kakashi." Sarutobi said, indicating that the silver haired Jounin was to start.

"From the 7th squad that I lead, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura. I recommend those three for the Chunin selection exams under my name Hatake Kakashi. " Kakashi said.

"From the 8th squad that I lead, Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino. I recommend those three for the Chunin selection exams under my name Yuuhi Kurenai." Kurenai continued.

"From the 10th squad that I lead, Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji. I recommend those three for the Chunin selection exams under my name Sarutobi Asuma." Asuma finished. Gossip broke out among the ones at the back, at all three recommending their squads.

"Please wait!" Iruka shouted. "Please let me speak Hokage-sama. Excuse me for interfering, but the nine who had their names called were my students from the academy. Every on of them is talented but this is too early! They need more experience before they enter!"

"I became Chunin when I was six years younger than Naruto." Kakashi drawled, turning to Iruka.

"Naruto is different from you! Are you trying to ruin him?" Iruka shouted.

"Their teamwork is quite good, and putting them in a dangerous situation will be interesting. Ruining them will also be interesting." Kakashi said stoically.

"What did you say?" Iruka inched closer.

"That was a joke. Iruka-sensei, I understand what you're saying, and you might be upset but-" Kakashi was cut off.

"Kakashi stop." Kurenai said.

"Don't interfere. They're no longer your students. They're my subordinates now." Kakashi finished harshly.

"But the Chunin exams is also known as the-" it was Iruka's turn to be cut off.

"Iruka, I understand your argument. So we'll put the rookie Gennin through a special preliminary exam." The Hokage announced.

"Preliminary?" Iruka parroted in disbelief.

The next morning found Team 7 waiting on the bridge for their wayward sensei to arrive. They had not been there very long and were prepared to wit a little longer when their Kakashi finally appeared. "Yo! Today I got lost on the road of life." He raised a hand in greeting and eye-smiled at them as usual. "Okay. I'll get straight to the point. I recommended the three of you for the Chunin selection exams so here. Take these applications." He handed them each an application form. "However, the recommendation does not force you to take it. You can decide if you want to take it or not. Only those who want to take it are to apply and five days after that, get to school by 3 PM and go to Room 301." Kakashi instructed. 'Oh my God! He really recommended us for the exams!' Minato thought, wondering what had been running through his student's mind when he had recommended them.

The three Gennin left, each lost in their own thoughts. Many Gennin arrived that day from across the Elemental nations to take part in the Chunin exams that was to be held there. On his way to the training grounds, Minato spotted the Konohamaru corps. He groaned inwardly when they invited him to play ninja with them. An unknown ninja materialised out of thin air and grabbed Moegi. Minato recognised him as Iruka but acted anyway. The latter grabbed Moegi's 'kidnapper' and straddled his back. "Iruka sensei, what are you doing?" Minato asked placidly. "Sorry Naruto. That was for the preliminary rounds for rookie Gennin. You pass by the way. Good luck." Iruka released the henge and left, smiling, leaving Minato with the Konohamaru corps. "Here." Minato smiled, handing Moegi the flower she'd dropped when Iruka grabbed her. "As expected of my Onii-san!" Konohamaru boasted again. They turned back to the spot Minato was at and noticed that the blond was missing. "Where'd he go?" Konohamaru puzzled over his Onii-san's disappearance.

That night, the 'unknown ninja' materialised again behind Kakashi. "How did they do?" the silver haired Jounin drawled and didn't deign to turn around to face the person. "Although we went through the trouble of setting up a special preliminary exam, all nine passed." The ninja's form returned to being that of Iruka's. "It seems like their skills are growing, just like the three of you have said." Iruka said, looking defeated. "But the real Chunin exam isn't going to be that easy." Kakashi drawled. The Chunin exams were coming up and there would be many tough battles ahead.

**A/N: I'm sorry I cut it short. The test for Sasuke and Sakura was canon. The outcome and what happened during it is also canon. Sorry about that nyan. :( Please review and thank you for your support. **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Cry… I've got H.W. Waaahhh… If u like funny things you can try: Naruto Abridged by MasakoX and Vegeta 3896(I'm not sure abt this. Pls correct me.), Naruto Randomness by Fiori Party, Fun With Akatsuki by Omnistrife. On YouTube nyan! To clear the confusion, Iruka knows Naruto's secret but everyone else doesn't so, he can't just say, 'Oh I'm not doubting Naruto can enter because Naruto is actually Konoha no Kiiroi Senkou!' you know… And the Konohamaru corps don't know either so he can't just say 'Hey Minato! Sorry bout that. There's supposed to be a Preliminary before the actual exams. Good luck, not that you'll need it really.' Yeah… That would be breaking his promise… right in front of him! Can someone please tell me whether the two people in front of Room 201 are Chunin or Jounin because I'm really confused… Can someone also tell me the correct spelling for 'Medical Jutsu' in Japanese? **

Chapter 16: Chunin Exam

The day of the Chunin Exams, Minato met up with Sasuke outside the school and noticed that Sakura was late again, not that they weren't always late for team meetings due to them having to accommodate to their sensei's quirks. He was about to go search for her when she arrived, greeting them as she got within an earshot. "Are you okay? You look rather pale." Minato cocked his head and touched her forehead for confirmation.

Sakura pulled away and shook her head, mumbling, "I'm okay," her eyes glazing over slightly. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, 'Sakura's acting weird.'

They made their way into the building and took the stairs, only to turn and see a large crowd of people standing around in the corridor, staring at something. The trio pushed towards the front for a better look and saw a boy in a neon green leotard getting punched by two boys blocking the entrance to Room 301. 'Genjutsu and henge. Must be the Chunin examiners. This must be our first test.' Minato thought, moving to tell his team mates, only to find that they had moved to the front of the group and were engaging the two Chunin in a conversation. "Undo this field you've created using a Genjutsu. I want to go to the third floor." Sasuke walked up to them.

Minato heard people whispering behind them, confusion saturating their tone that was mostly, "What's he talking about?"

The two Chunin in disguise glanced at each other and then back at Sasuke, "Oh? So you've noticed."

Sasuke turned to Sakura, "Sakura, how about you? You should have noticed first. Your analysation skills and Genjutsu know-how is the best in our team." Minato stared at him in shock, 'No, Sasuke! This was supposed to weed out the weaker Gennin. What you've done will only increase the competition,' before it hit him like a tsunami. 'He's trying to boost Sakura's confidence because she was looking so pale earlier!'

"Sasuke-kun." Sakura, too, stared at him in shock, before recovering and saying, "Thank you. Of course I've noticed it already, because this is the 2nd floor." Sakura revealed, her tone gaining strength and confidence. The plate above the door swirled and the number inscribed on it reverted back to 201.

"You're pretty good, but just being able to detect it isn't enough." The Chunin in disguise trailed off and flipped onto his hands, using momentum to inflict more damage on Sasuke through a kick. Sasuke reacted immediately and lashed out with his right leg. Minato looked to the leotard-clad Gennin and saw him move to intercept both attacks with his hands. Sasuke stared nervously at the boy's hand, thinking, 'He stopped my kick? Was there chakra in his arms?'

A boy with long brown hair and a girl with hair of the same colour tied into two buns walked over to the green clad boy. "You broke our promise, and you're the one who said that we shouldn't do anything that might draw attention." The brown haired boy sighed.

"But…" The leotard wearing boy protested before a blush spread across his cheeks and he turned to face Sakura with a determined look on his face. He walked over to Sakura and introduced himself, "My name is Rock Lee. You're Sakura-san, right? Let's go out together! I'll protect you until I die!" and confessed his love for her, giving the pink haired girl a thumbs-up and a smile so wide that his teeth pinged, otherwise known as the Good Guy pose.

Sakura stared in astonishment at the Lee, "No way. You're too '_unique'_ for my tastes," and promptly rejected him. Lee's head slumped onto his chest and depression hung in the air around him. "Hey, you there. Identify yourself." The brown haired boy swaggered up to the team. Minato looked up at the boy, 'He's a Hyuuga like Hinata...'

"You're supposed to identify yourself before you ask." Sasuke deflected.

"You're a rookie aren't you? How old are you?" the brown haired boy ignored Sasuke.

"I'm not obligated to answer that." Sasuke shot back apathetically.

"What?" a frown creased the older boy's brow as the girl behind him giggled thinking, 'He's cute.' Sasuke turned away as Sakura called cheerfully,

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto, let's go!" failing to belie that she was hopelessly edgy as she grabbed them by their forearms and dragged them along.

The Hyuuga gazed at the symbol on Sasuke's shirt and turned the name over in his mind, 'Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke?' His brunette team mate turned to him and asked, "Does he interest you?" but only receiving a grunt for a response. The two brown haired teens walked off in the direction Team 7 had gone in but stopped when they realised that Lee was not following.

"You two go on ahead. There's something I need to check out." Lee stated with conviction.

As Team 7 walked up the last flight of stairs, Sasuke smirked dangerously, eliciting a curious glance from Minato as the blond tried to guess what was on the Uchiha's mind.

They reached a large hall when a voice rang out from above them, "You there with the sharp eyes. Wait." The three lifted their heads to the source in unison and saw the boy from earlier.

Their reactions varied, as Sakura reeled back in shock and looked horrified, Sasuke looked at Lee indifferently and Minato asked, "Who were you addressing?"

Lee looked them over and declared, "Would you fight me right here and now, Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Fight you right here and now?" Sasuke repeated, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes!" Lee confirmed, jumping over the railing and onto the floor Team 7 was on.

"Uchiha Sasuke-kun! I would like to fight you! I would like to see how my moves do against a descendant of the genius ninja clan. Also… Sakura-san… I love you." Lee said, getting into a fighting stance and blushing as he said the last three words, which caused the target of his gaze to go rigid in shock and break out in goose bumps.

"Do you really want to see what this name of Uchiha is capable of fuzzy eyebrows?" Sasuke drawled, coming up with a moniker for the leotard wearing Gennin.

"Please." Lee, or rather, fuzzy eyebrows, replied, getting into another stance.

"Don't. We have to submit our application forms. Fighting now is not worth it. Wait until the exams." Minato tried to reason with the two ebony haired boys.

"Don't worry. It'll only take five minutes." Sasuke declared.

"Do you want me to interfere if it becomes too much for you to handle?" Minato whispered to his team mate good-naturedly.

"No." Sasuke replied simply before charging at Lee, delivering a hook, only to be stunned when it hit nothing but thin air.

The Uchiha spun around and dodged as Lee called out, "Konoha Senpu!" and lashed out with his leg. Lee landed on his left hand and used his palm to pivot himself as he launched another kick at the Uchiha. Sasuke brought his arms up to his face to defend himself and braced for the attack, only for Lee's leg to strike upwards, hitting Sasuke in the face, missing his arms completely. The younger boy was sent flying.

"What was that? It went through my guard. What was that? A ninjutsu or genjutsu. Oh well, I'll use this time to get used to 'that'. I'll show you." Sasuke lifted his head and, in his eyes, was the Sharingan for all to see. Lee's expression only became more determined as he kept his eyes on his opponent. Sasuke charged Lee once again, only this time, with his Sharingan active. As he came within attacking range, however, Lee's foot connected with his chin, causing him to be flung upwards. As he was airborne, he twisted around to stare at Lee, his expression pained, "That's impossible. My Sharingan couldn't detect it. Don't tell me his move are-"

"That's right. My moves are neither ninjutsu nor genjutsu." Lee started, before dashing at Sasuke and lashing out at him, one of his kicks connecting with the Uchiha's side and sent him flying for the third time in those few minutes, before Lee appeared in front of him again and kicked him squarely in the face. Sasuke raised an arm to block a strike but was elbowed in the gut, causing him to stumble back, clutching his abused stomach. "My moves are purely taijutsu. Sasuke-kun," Lee disappeared and reappeared behind the Uchiha, "you may not be able to believe this right away but," Lee dodged a right hook from an irate Sasuke before appearing a few paces away from him, "I hear the Sharingan has the ability to see through nin, gen and taijutsu. You can definitely see through and deal with ninjutsu and genjutsu that require chakra but for taijutsu, it's a little different. Even if you can see my movement with your Sharingan, your body does not have the speed to keep up with mine. In other words, it's no point even if you can see with your eyes, if you cannot keep up with your body. Do you know that there are genius-types and hard-working-types among the strong? If your Sharingan is the genius-type that carries the blood of the Uchiha," Sasuke ran in to attack the older boy who did not seem to be cutting his lecture short in light of the Uchiha's attack, "I am the hard-working-type that continuously improved my taijutsu."

Sasuke's right fist shot out, only to be dodged again by Lee, who continued talking as he danced around the Uchiha's attacks. Lee launched Sasuke into the air again with another ferocious kick to the chin, before disappearing and reappearing beneath the battered Uchiha, "And I will prove to you with this move that hard work surpasses genius." The bandages around the boy's arm began to unravel, trailing behind the two. As the two floated in the air, a pinwheel appeared and continued on its trajectory until it embedded itself in the wall, pinning the stray bandage along with it. Lee was broken away from the formation and landed deftly on the ground, kneeling before a talking turtle, leaving Sasuke in freefall. Minato caught the falling boy and gently set him down on the floor, utilising whatever knowledge he had of Iryou ninjutsu to heal his beat up team mate.

"Lee, that move is forbidden." The turtle reprimanded.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away." Lee gazed in shame at the floor.

The turtle turned its eagle-like eyes to the leotard wearing boy and Lee started to babble, "But I wasn't going to use the Reverse version. Really! I'm telling the truth!"

"You fool!" Lee flinched at the turtle's words, "Did you think that excuse would work? You should know very well what it means for a ninja to expose his moves."

"Sir!" Lee acknowledged. Sasuke's face contorted in fury as he stared at Lee getting scolded by the turtle, most of his injuries healed.

"Are you ready to face the consequences?" the turtle rasped.

"Yes." Lee replied, still unwilling to look the red turtle in the eyes.

"Gai sensei. Please take care of the rest." The turtle called out, seemingly to no one. A large explosion of smoke went off on the turtle's back, and an older version of Lee appeared, striking a pose. Sakura and Sasuke stared at the man with equally horrified expressions. 'Is that the guy who proclaimed himself Kakashi's eternal rival or something? He hasn't changed much.' Minato thought, mirroring the looks of horror on his team mate's faces. "Hey Lee." The man greeted, striking the 'Good Guy' pose.

"Super unique and super bobbed hair." Sakura choked out.

"And super eyebrows. This is the first time I've seen something like that." Minato added, playing along.

A vein bulged on Lee's forehead as he whipped around and shouted defensively, "Hey! Don't make fun of Gai-sensei."

"Sorry. We just didn't know how to react to all those unique features." Minato tried to placate the Gai clone, but only succeeded in making it worse.

"What did you say?" Lee shouted back at him.

"Cut it out, Lee." Gai said, waving a hand as if dismissing the comments about his hair, eyebrows and dress sense.

"Sir!" Lee turned back to his sensei with a determined look on his face, before Gai retracted his arm and introduced his fist to Lee's cheek.

"Idiot!" Gai shouted as his student and clone was launched backwards, blood spurting out of his nose and mouth. Team 7 continued to look on in horror as Lee landed on the floor with a sickening thud.

Gai walked over to his downed student, "Lee, you… you…"

"Sensei…" Lee returned the call. Minato closed his eyes and turned away, knowing what was to come, but that didn't stop him from hearing the conversation.

"Lee…"

"Sensei…I…I…"

"It's okay Lee, don't say anymore."

"Sensei!"

"Lee!" This was followed by the sound of two bodies colliding and the sound of waves hitting a cliff as it broke away. The next sound, which was Sakura groaning, was actually a sound for sore ears. Minato turned back and found the two green clad ninja hugging, tears streaming from their eyes, as Gai said, "Yes, this is youth."

"Sensei!" Lee sobbed into Gai's arms.

"It's okay Lee. It's normal to make mistakes when you're young."

"You're too kind sensei!"

"Now, run 100 laps around the training ground into the sunset!"

"Hai sensei!" The sunset appeared once more as Gai struck a Good Guy pose. Lee wiped the tears from his eyes and struck one of his own.

The two of them were about to walk off when Sakura shouted, "What about the Chunin exams? We still have to hand in the application forms." Gai turned around, surprise written all over his face, as if he'd forgotten that the Chunin exams were about to take place.

He coughed and stated, "Lee, I'm going to punish you for fighting and breaking a promise after the exams, okay?"

"Hai!" Lee responded, raising a hand to salute his sensei.

"Do 500 laps!" Gai struck another pose.

"Sir!" Lee voiced, his hand still in a salute.

"You three. Is Kakashi doing well?" Gai looked over to them.

"You know Kakashi?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't just know him. People call us eternal rivals." Gai struck yet another pose.

"That sounds fake!" Sakura shouted.

"How rude! Gai-sensei is really-" Lee was cut off by Gai.

"Don't say it, show it." Gai put a hand on his hip. Sasuke's eyes widened when the man suddenly disappeared and materialised behind them. "The record stands at 50 wins and 49 losses." Gai's voice rang out from behind them. The trio turned to face Gai and were treated to the sight of the man in green standing smugly behind them.

"He…" Sasuke trailed off.

"How did he…?" Sakura stared at the man with a shocked expression plastered on her face.

"When did he?" Minato joined in.

"Let me just tell you that I'm stronger than Kakashi." Gai boasted, striking the Good Guy pose for the umpteenth time that day. Sasuke grimaced at the man, many different thoughts tumbling through his head.

"How's that? Gai-sensei's amazing isn't he?" Lee shouted to the group, his eyes alight with awe for his sensei.

"Please forgive Lee." Gai voiced, striking another Good Guy pose.

"You four should be getting to the classroom soon." Gai knocked the pinwheel out of the wall with a kunai. When the bandage was released, it revealed more of his hand, on which was proof of how hard he trained himself. Minato stared at the scars, gaining newfound respect for the boy. "Do your best, Lee!" Gai cheered as his student re-bandaged his arm. The man then disappeared along with the turtle.

"Sasuke-kun. Let me say this before I go. To be honest, I came here to test my skills. I lied a while ago. The strongest of the Konoha Gennin is in my team. I entered this exam to defeat him, and you're one of my targets as well. Prepare yourself for the exam!" Lee finished, and left, leaving Sasuke to grimace from his standing point, his fists clenching.

"Sasuke-kun." Sakura said, noticing his chagrin.

"This is getting interesting. The Chunin Exams, that is." Sasuke smirked. The three turned towards the entrance, "Let's go Naruto, Sakura!" Sasuke shouted, his passion relit. The three strode down the aisle, towards Room 301.

When they arrived, they came face to face with Kakashi. "I see. So Sakura came as well. You can now officially register for the Chunin Exam." The silver haired Jounin said, scanning them.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, confusion playing in her tone.

"To tell you the truth, this exam can only be taken in teams of three."

"But you said that we could choose whether or not to take it." Sakura contradicted, her confusion only worsening.

"I lied. If I said that, Sasuke and Naruto would have forced you to take it. Even if you don't want to take the exam, if Sasuke asked you, you'd try to take the exam anyway, for Sasuke and Naruto." Kakashi concluded.

"But what would have happened if only Sasuke-kun and Naruto came here?" Sakura asked, her confusion lightening a little.

"I would have prohibited them from taking the exam and not allowed them through these doors." Kakashi said, his tone harsh. "But the three of you came here of your own free will. Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke… Well done." The silver-haired Jounin gave them an eye-smile. "I'm proud of you. You're my team. Now, go. " He said, stepping aside, and bowing his head in silent pride as they stepped through the double doors.

The trio found themselves in a room filled with ninja from across the Elemental Nations, all Gennin eager to be promoted to Chunin. "There are so many people! Are all these people taking the exams?" Sakura breathed, trying to take in the sheer number of the Gennin gathered there in that room. The masses all stared menacingly at them as Sakura gulped. "Sasuke-kun you're late!" came a lilting female voice followed by its owner pouncing onto a certain Uchiha. Ino glomped Sasuke and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sakura's nervousness evaporated immediately only to be replaced by irritation and anger as she screamed at Ino to get away from her raven-haired team mate.

"What, are you three taking this troublesome exam too?" a voice drawled lazily from behind them. They turned to the source, revealing Shikamaru and Chouji, the other two from Ino's team.

"Yeah! Found you all. So I see everyone's here." Kiba noted, a smile playing on his lips.

"Hello." Hinata whispered from behind her team mates. Minato caught her eyes and she looked away, a light blush tinting her cheeks.

Chouji stepped forward when he was stopped by Shino, "Don't step on it."

"Huh?" the Akimichi turned his attention to the ground as a beetle scuttled past.

"Oh, you mean the bug." Chouji said, stepping away from the insect.

"Hey, you guys. You should quiet down a little. So you're the nine rookies that just graduated from the academy correct? You're all fooling around with those cute faces. Geez, this isn't a field trip." A silver haired Gennin wearing a Konoha headband appraised them.

"Who are you to tell us that?" Ino demanded, not liking the look in the person's eyes.

"I am Yakushi Kabuto. Speaking of which, look around you. The ones behind you are from Amegakure. They have a short temper. Everyone's tense since it's right before the exam. I warned you so you won't get picked on." Kabuto whispered just loud enough for them to hear. They turned to see the Ame-nin again, all of whom were glaring threateningly at them as if sizing them up. "I guess it can't be helped though, since you're just rookies. It makes me remember the old me." Kabuto reminisced.

"Kabuto-san was it? Is this your second time here?" Sakura chanced.

"No, my seventh time. This exam takes place twice every year. This is my fourth year." Kabuto informed them.

"That must mean you know a lot about this exam, right?" Sakura hoped that he did.

"Yeah." Kabuto replied modestly. 'His level is somewhere around Jounin level. Keeping a close eye on him would be best.' Minato thought as Kabuto withdrew a stack of orange backed cards and fanned them expertly before his face. "In simple terms, it's a card that has information burned into it using my chakra. I've collected information on this exam for the past four years," he lay the deck carefully on the floor, "There's about 200 cards total," he took one out of the stack and placed it orange side down on the floor and placed a finger on it. He channelled his chakra into it and a map with the number of Gennin participating from each village appeared.

"Are there any cards that have detailed personal information?" Sasuke came forth to ask.

"Yes. Is there someone that interests you?" Kabuto, smiled up at the Uchiha.

"Do you have anything on Sunagakure no Gaara?" Minato asked benignly.

"Konohagakure no Rock Lee." Sasuke asked one of his own.

"Let's start with Rock Lee. He's one year older than you. Mission experience: 20 D-rank ones, 11 C-rank ones. Squad leader is Gai. His taijutsu skills have improved drastically this past year but his other skills are terrible. He got everyone's attention last year as a skilled rookie Gennin but he didn't take the Chunin exam. This is the first time he's taking it, just like you guys. His team is composed of Tenten and Hyuuga Neji." Kabuto let the card go blank.

"Next, Sabaku no Gaara. Mission experience: 8 C-rank ones and… This is amazing! He did a B-rank as a Gennin! He's a foreign ninja and it's his first time taking the exam so I don't have anymore information on him. But, it seems like he returned from all his missions unharmed." Kabuto pushed his spectacles up.

"He did a B-rank mission as a Gennin and was unharmed?" Shikamaru parroted fearfully.

"Did you hear that? They said that Otogakure is a new and weak village."

"Let's play with them a little then." The Oto-nin conversed among themselves.

They dashed towards the back of the room, causing Kankuro to loosen the bandages on the figure on his back, only to be stopped by Gaara. They finally reached the front, the spiky haired one launching two kunai at Kabuto. The latter dodged and slid away from the kunai embedded in the ground. The bandaged one swung a right hook, only for Kabuto to dodge again. Kabuto smirked as he stared his opponent down, before it was wiped off his face when his glasses shattered. "What's going on? You definitely dodged it so why did your glasses…?" Sasuke trailed off when Kabuto went rigid and fell to his knees, throwing up.

"Are you okay?" Minato and Sakura ran to his side to help him. The three Oto-nin smirked down at the three but before they could say or do anything, a plume of smoke erupted at the front of the room.

"Quiet down you punks!" came a rough voice from inside the smoke. The Gennin waited with bated breath as they stared in anticipation, but the only thing that ran through Minato's mind was 'Ibiki? A man wearing a bandana over his head and had scars adorning his face emerged, along with a host of Chunin. Among them were Haku and the two Chunin that had stopped them on the second floor. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm the examiner of the first test, Morino Ibiki." The scarred man smirked at the roomful of Gennin. "You three from Oto! Don't think you can do anything you want before the exams. Do you want us to fail you?" Ibiki shouted across the room.

"I'm sorry. I was excited since this is my first exam." The bandaged Oto-nin said, his voice oily.

"This is a good time to say this. During the exam you are not allowed to fight with each other unless permission is given to you to do so. Even then, you are not to kill. Pigs who defy me will fail immediately. Understand?" Ibiki glared around intimidating the Gennin gathered there. 'Definitely Ibiki.' Minato shuddered, not liking the idea of being the one subjugated to the man's twisted mind games. "Turn in your applications and take one of these number tags and sit where the number tells you to. Then, we'll hand out the papers for the written exam." Ibiki announced. Minato was separated from his team mates and sitting next to Hinata.

"Let's do our best." Hinata smiled, blushing again.

"This first exam has a few important rules. I will not accept any questions so listen carefully. First rule is that you're all given ten points at the start. The written exam consists of ten questions, and each one is worth one point. The test is a deduction based test. If you get one problem wrong, you will get one point deducted. Second rule, the pass-fail decision will be decided by your team's total points. Third rule, if an examiner determines that you cheated or did something similar during the test, each action will cause you to lose two points. In other words, it's possible that people will leave this exam without their tests being graded. You're all aspiring to be Chunin. If you're a ninja, act like a first-rate one. Also, if anyone on the team gets a zero, everyone on that team will fail. The last question will be given 45 minutes after the test has started. You have one hour for the exam. Begin!" Ibiki gave the signal.

'This is way beyond a normal Gennin's scope of knowledge…' Minato was lost in thought as he stared at the test paper. 'Maybe he wants us to cheat, but cheat well enough that the Chunin won't notice. Information gathering, basically.' Minato concluded.

Kiba used Akamaru as a means to get answers seeing as he could understand the little white dog. Shino used his bugs as spies before they went back to him and conveyed him the answer. Tenten used a complex contraption comprised of kunai, mirrors and ninja wire to copy answers as well as show them to Lee. Minato decided that it was a good time to test drive a prototype he'd been working on. He'd dreamt it up and thought it impossible for the seal to work, but if it didn't, he could always fall back on his usual seals or just solve the questions using his own knowledge. He picked the pencil up and scribbled the seal onto the desk, careful to make it light so that he could erase it later on. It supposedly released near invisible sensory threads that allowed him to see and hear whatever was going on in an area as long as a sensory thread was there.

After completing the seal, he added chakra to it to activate it and nearly had a sensory overload, seeing and hearing nearly everything in the room at the same time. He let his head fall to the table as he tried to adjust, finding it rather difficult as images and sounds clamoured for attention, throwing his normal senses off balance. Eventually, he figured out how to make it work in the way he wanted it to and managed to copy off of the Chunin sitting a few seats away.

Hinata saw her love interest lay his head on the table and glanced over at his test, realising that his test paper was still blank. She steeled herself and came to the decision to show him her answers so that he could pass, regardless of whether she herself got caught in the process. A kunai whistled over his head and yet he still didn't show any signs of rousing. When her crush finally lifted his head from the table and had a blank expression on his visage, his eyes a little glazed.

"Um, Naruto-kun...? Hurry, look." She discreetly revealed her answers to her crush.

"You might get in trouble for helping me cheat" Minato whispered back at her.

"I'm sorry. I did something unnecessary." Hinata apologised, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"It's okay. It's the thought that counts. Besides, I've found a way, so you shouldn't worry about me." Minato smiled placidly at her, causing heat to rise to her cheeks, and the look on her face indicated that she was obviously fighting off a faint attack.

Minato began scribbling answers down, his hand flying over the paper. Sasuke activated his Sharingan and Neji did the same with his Byakugan. Ino executed the Shintenshin no Jutsu on Sakura, seeing as she had completed her test, remarkably, by knowledge alone. Ino then possessed her other two team mates and copied her answers down on their papers.

Just as Minato penned down the last part to Question 9, Ibiki announced, "Okay, I will now give the tenth question. But before that, there will be one special rule for this last question. I will explain. This is a hopeless rule. First, you are all going to choose if you wish to take this tenth question or not." "Choose? So what happens if we don't take the tenth question?" Temari asked, her words strained. "If you choose not to take it, your points will be reduced to zero. In other words, you'll fail. Your two other team mates will fail along with you. And here's the other rule. If you choose to take it and you get it wrong, you will lose the privilege to take the Chunin exams forever." Ibiki said, a smirk playing on his lips the entire time.

"What kind of dumb rule is that? There should be those here who have taken the Chunin Exam in the past!" Kiba shouted, Akamaru barking in agreement.

Ibiki chuckled darkly, "You were unlucky. This year, I am the rule. That is why I gave you the option of quitting. Those who are not confident can choose not to take it and take the exam next year or the year after that. Then, let's begin. Those who will not be taking the tenth question, raise your hands. After we confirm your numbers, you leave."

The man sitting beside Minato raised his hand and started a chain reaction. "I'm sorry. Gennai, Inaho." The man trembled.

Many hands started going up into the air and Minato watched as they all left through the double doors. Not one of them wasn't down cast. "I will ask one more time. This is a choice that will impact your life. If you want to quit, now's the chance." Ibiki announced. No one raised their hand.

"Nice determination. For the first exam, everyone here passes." Ibiki declared.

"Wait, what's the meaning of this. We pass already? What about the tenth question?" Sakura slammed her hands on the table.

Ibiki's face broke out in a grin, "There was no such thing to begin with. Or you can call the two-choice question the tenth question."

"So what were those previous nine problems? It was all a waste." Temari vociferated.

"No, it wasn't. The nine problems accomplished their purpose-The purpose to test each individual's information gathering skills." Ibiki took down his head band to reveal the many scars on his head. Many of the Gennin in the room recoiled in horror.

"The First test of the Chunin Exam ends now. I wish you all luck." Ibiki turned his attention to the window and Minato followed suit, sensing something approaching at high speed.

Suddenly, a large ball of cloth crashed through the window and two kunai were released. The projectiles dragged at the ends of the cloth and embedded in the ceiling, unravelling the cloth to reveal a purple haired lady, "I am the second examiner, Mitarashi Anko. Let's go to the next exam. Follow me!"

Everyone just stared.

"Grasp the atmosphere." Ibiki appeared from behind the banner.

Anko flushed in embarrassment before regaining her composure. "78? Ibiki, you let 26 teams pass? You're getting soft." Anko chided.

"It looks like there are a lot of excellent Gennin this time." Ibiki returned.

"Oh well. I'm going to make more than half fail in the next exam. I'm getting excited. I will explain the rules tomorrow. We'll go somewhere else, so ask your Jounin-sensei about the rally point and time. That is all. Dismissed." Anko barked.

Before they filed out of the room, Minato deactivated the seal and hastily erased the pencil markings with the eraser on the end of the pencil before joining his team mates and walking out of the room with them.

**A/N: I couldn't think of a way Minato could cheat, and he doesn't really need to anyway so instead, he's testing a seal. I'm sorry, but I honestly don't know what Minato can do besides his seals and the techniques he does know are very destructive. My rationale is that if you can seal a giant demon fox thing with a seal, then I suppose you can use seals for stuff like… that. He also didn't interfere in the SasukeXLee match because he respected Sasuke's decision to not have any help. I imagine that he'd be really angry if Minato helped him. Anyway, _please review_ and correct my mistakes. I will also rewrite the chapter if you find some really major flaws in it. Thank you. **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hi hi! I might not be updating as often nyan, but that's okay cuz there are so many thousands more fanfics you can read to keep yourself busy~! (≧▽≦) I hate literature, especially having to understand what I myself write, but I guess I have no choice. So I'm answering all your questions nyan~!**

**JNottle: I seriously don't know who you are because I searched for you and came up NIL. Anyway, eight years can really take a toll on your memory. Besides, it doesn't mean that he only heard about Gai from Kakashi just because he knows that they're 'eternal rivals'. As for the genius thing, I made my A/N in the previous Chapter clearer. I'm too lazy to**

**repost it here, so please go and check it out nyan~!**

**NoSinglixRule: I PMed you nyan~! Go check it out~!**

**For everyone else with the 'Minato is a genius why's he cheating' question, ditto.**

**Maj156: IKR! I have no idea what to do with Naruto's soul. Maybe, if he finds a way to revive Kushina, Naruto will make his appearance as well? I seriously don't know. My story writes itself.**

**Nirakamahcimka: Thank you.**

**Can someone tell me the correct spelling for the wind jutsu I wrote in the story?**

Chapter 17: Shi no Mori

"You will be able to experience why this place is called the forest of death." Anko smirked, a sadistic look on her face. Training ground 44 was to be the venue of the exam, forcing Minato to leave the orange jumpsuit at home. 'Well, at least I'm confident that I can deal with the creatures,' Minato was brought out of his reverie by a sudden shift in the wind. He instinctively dodged, when he detected a presence behind him. Acting purely on instinct, he grabbed the person, locked the person's arms behind the person's back and pushed the person to the ground as he'd done with Haku, straddling the person with a kunai poised dangerously at the person's neck. Minato recovered from the shock and stumbled off Anko's back. He'd very nearly assaulted his examiner.

"I'm sorry, but why'd you throw a kunai at me?" Minato apologised as Anko got up and brushed her self off, peeved.

"You were spacing out." Anko growled. Minato smiled sheepishly and nervously scratched the back of his head, before sensing another presence behind Anko and then seeing the person. Anko slid a kunai out of trench coat and held it up, only to have the kunai handed to her by a tongue.

"Here's your kunai," the tongue's owner said, her words muffled.

Anko smiled widely at the kunoichi, "Thank you, but don't stand behind me like that unless you want to die young."

She took the kunai back as the kunoichi's freakishly long tongue retracted back into her mouth, "My precious hair got cut, so I got a little excited. I'm sorry."

The kunoichi walked away, leaving Anko and Minato, "It looks like there are a lot of hot-headed ones today. This is going to be interesting." Anko commented, her sadistic smile still in place. Anko walked back to the head of the group and produced a stack of forms, "Before we begin the exam, I'm going to pass these out to everyone. These are consent forms. Those taking this exam must sign these because from here on, people will die. Therefore, we need people's consent before we continue. Otherwise I'd be held responsible," Anko laughed merrily. "To be concise, you're all going to go through an extreme survival match. Earth scrolls and heaven scrolls. You will be fighting over these. 26 teams in total passed the 1st exam, so half of those teams will get the heaven scrolls, the other half will get the earth scrolls. Each team will get one of these scrolls. You only pass when you reach the tower within the time limit of 120 hours which is five days exactly, have both the heaven and earth scroll, and all three are present. In other words, 13 teams who get their scroll stolen will fail," Anko stowed the scrolls away into her trench coat.

"But what about food?" Chouji groaned.

"There's plenty of food in the forest. You just have to find it," Anko replied simply.

"However, there are also a lot of man-eating beasts, poisonous plants and poisonous bugs," Kabuto added.

"As a rule, you're not allowed to give up during the exam. You'll spend all five days in the forest. While we're on the topic, you'll only pass if all three members are accounted for, and neither should be dead or unrecoverable. Also, you're not allowed to look inside the scrolls until you reach the tower. It's to determine your reliability. That's it for the explanation," Anko smiled. "We will exchange three consent forms for a scroll in that hut. And after picking your gate entrance, everyone will start at the same time," the purple haired kunoichi jabbed a finger in the direction of the hut. "One last word of advice. Don't die!" Anko shouted. The teams scattered as they milled about, debating whether or not to take the test. 'Well, might as well fill it in,' Minato wandered around the grounds until he spotted Hinata.

"Hey Hinata!" the blond called cheerfully.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata turned away, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Well, good luck for the exam," Minato smiled, panicking slightly when the girl fainted.

Luckily she woke up in time for the handing in of the forms.

"Those of you who have received your scrolls, go to your designated gates. We will begin in 30 minutes!" Anko commanded. The teams waited at the gates, tension and determination hung heavy in the air. Finally, Anko broke the tension, "The Second Exam in the Chunin Exams begins now!" The gates exploded inwards, letting in the 26 teams.

Now, it was survival of the fittest.

Team 7 trekked through the forest when a scream rang out, causing them to stop in their tracks. The birds that nestled in the trees left their perches and took flight, screeching as they went. 'Someone's there, but how am I supposed to go deal with them?' Minato wracked his brain and came up with only one solution, "I need to pee." His team mates stayed back as he went into the bushes to 'pee'. He disappeared and reappeared behind the Gennin who'd been spying on them and promptly slit his throat. The boy gave a strangled cry that was drowned out by the blood that was filling his throat and lungs. The Gennin's team mate charged at him, kunai in hand, only to receive a kunai to the heart, killing him instantly.

Minato just stared on, his eyes cold, before riffling through their kunai pouches and found what he was looking for. 'Pity. It's a heaven scroll,' he left both Gennin to die in favour of finding his team. The moment he emerged in the clearing, the scene that greeted him was one of a ninja, possibly the comrade of the previous two, holding a kunai to Sasuke's throat. Appearing behind the ninja, he planted a kunai into the attacker's skull with enough force to give him a quick death. The blond let the body fall to the floor. "Oh God you killed him!" Sakura choked, re-enacting the scene on the bridge and running to the bushes to vomit. When she finally emerged she wiped her mouth and heaved, "I don't see how you can just take a life like that." Sasuke remained silent, his fists clenching as he hurtled into memories of his brother massacring the clan.

Minato put a hand on his team mate's shoulder, which snapped the boy out of reverie. The ebony-haired boy looked into the blond's eyes, trying to find hints of coldness but found only warmth. Sasuke looked away, before calling a meeting, "If the three of us get separated and don't trust anyone even if he looks like one of us. There is a possibility that the enemy will transform into one of us and approach, so we'll decide on a password," Sasuke concluded. "If you're given a different one, treat that person as an enemy. I'm only going to say this once so listen carefully. First, you will ask, 'The ninja song Ninki'. The answer is the following. 'It is a good chance when a large number of enemies are making a scene. There are no hideouts, even in a quiet place. It is important for a ninja to know the right time, when the enemy is tired and has his guard down.' That's it. I'll keep the scroll."

"Wait Sasuke!" Minato shouted, sensing the attack, but it was too late. A large typhoon of wind swept through the forest, blowing the trio back with sheer force. When the assault finally ended, three Gennin from Kusa were left standing in the clearing, unruffled.

"You two go have fun somewhere else. I'll go in alone from here," the kunoichi who'd given Anko's kunai back instructed. Minato was assaulted the most and was blown away from his team mates. When he finally stopped, he took stock of his surroundings. Noticing that his team mates weren't there anymore, and considering that they'd been attacked, he decided to use the seals to get to them. When he arrived back at the clearing, he was greeted to the sight of the Kusa-nin standing imperiously over his team mates. His eyes gravitated to his team mates and he found them on the floor. Recognising the technique immediately, he threw himself out protectively before his team mates and disrupted the technique. "Oh… you. I thought I left my snake to deal with you. No matter, I'll deal with you myself," the Kusa-nin slowly advanced.

'She seems familiar somehow. Never mind. We need to get away first,' Minato thought, slinging his team mates over his shoulder and taking off. "That's right. Run. Prey should always run in the face of a predator," the Kusa-nin taunted, going after Minato. The latter had come across the tower before and made a beeline towards it, before being stopped in his tracks by a giant snake. 'Orochimaru,' was the first thing on the blond's mind. He unceremoniously dropped his two team mates and they hid behind the trees, watching the Kusa-nin.

'Damn it! I can't go as fast as when I'm in my original body. No choice but to fight,' drew a kunai from his pouch. A snake slithered down from the branch and immediately found a kunai embedded in its head. The snake drooped limply before falling off the branch altogether. "I'm going to give her our scroll. Then she'll leave us alone," Sasuke got up. Minato stuck his hand out, stopping his raven-haired team mate,

"Don't. What guarantee do you have that she would not simply take the scroll and kill us off?" Sasuke sat back down, drawing a kunai from his pouch.

"Sakura, can you try and enhance your punches with chakra like Kakashi-sensei taught you?" Sasuke whipped around, receiving a curt nod from Sakura.

"Naruto, you have any Fuuton jutsu…? Never mind. You probably don't have any," Sasuke turned to look at the Kusa-nin, who was still taunting them from her position.

"Actually, I do have Fuuton: Daitoppa," Minato interjected.

"Okay. I'll use Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu, Naruto will use his Fuuton: Daitoppa to enhance it, I'll activate my Sharingan and tell Sakura where to go if he gets away, and Sakura will use her chakra enhanced punch. Got it?" Sasuke instructed. They nodded, the two boys stepping out from behind the tree to face the Kusa-nin. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu" was accompanied by a "Fuuton: Daitoppa" and the result was a large roiling mass of fire, headed directly at the enemy. The Kusa-nin performed a Kawarimi and escaped, only to be seen by Sasuke's Sharingan.

"Sakura! There!" Sasuke shouted to his team mate, pointing to a seemingly innocent branch. Sakura reacted immediately and propelled herself to the branch, channelling chakra into her fist as she went. Her fist struck the area and the Kusa-nin was revealed, the other punch was caught. The Kusa-nin smirked sadistically before flinging the pink haired kunoichi towards the forest floor. Minato darted after her, catching her before she could hit the ground. He glanced up and saw the two engaging in taijutsu.

Sasuke lashed out with his foot, only to be dodged, and returned, forcing Sasuke to duck under the foot, his Sharingan spinning wildly. The Kusa-nin swiped at Sasuke with a right hook, the ebony haired boy bringing an arm up to block it as he aimed another kick at the kunoichi. The Kusa-nin caught the foot, and Sasuke yanked it back, blocking a kick from the Kusa-nin. Sasuke backpedalled as another fist came near his face, and he returned with a roundhouse, the Kusa kunoichi catching his foot and tossing Sasuke off the branch. Sasuke prepped a length of ninja wire and, catching it on a branch, swung himself around the tree. He landed on a lower branch, channelling chakra to his feet to keep from slipping off.

Minato landed on the branch and took over, the Kusa kunoichi grimacing with distaste as the two exchanging fast and furious blows. Minato launched a punch, which was dodged, the Kusa-nin countering with a punch of her own, Minato catching it, only to feel it jerked out of his grasp. The Kusa kunoichi's leg swiped at him, forcing the blond to jump over it, landing on the branch in time to block a punch. Another punch was aimed at Minato, the latter dodging it, before grabbing the offending arm and stabbing it, drawing blood.

The kunoichi hissed in rage as Sakura took over, dodging the pink haired kunoichi's punch before kicking said kunoichi aside, dabbing her thumb in the blood Minato spilled. She swiped her sleeve up and smeared the blood down the seal, chasing away any doubts in Minato's mind that the person was Orochimaru. A giant brown snake appeared beneath the Kusa-kunoichi, coiling and twisting. The giant snake shot at Sasuke, the latter paralysed again by the kunoichi's technique. 'Why did this have to happen? My life is never easy,' Minato griped, unsealing his tanto. He darted up the tree trunk before landing on the underside of a branch and launching himself downwards, towards the snake, using his momentum to increase the power behind his sword.

Sasuke stared at the snake, paralysed with fear. 'Damn it! Naruto where are you?' Sasuke thought, panic getting the better of him. He steeled himself as the snake closed the distance between them, its master staring smugly down at him. He stared in fear as the snake's head slid off and hit the ground with a resounding thud, its body following not long after as blood spewed from where its head should have been. One moment the snake was darting towards him, the next it was crumpling to the ground. The Uchiha chanced a glance at the figure beside the snake's corpse, heaving a sigh of relief when he saw his blond team mate.

Said blond dashed towards the Kusa-nin and his tanto found a new home in her head, only for Minato to jerk it out and join his team mates when the kunoichi's form melted, revealing that it was a mud clone. "I-" the Kusa-nin was cut off when Sasuke tossed two shuriken, pulling at the ninja wire and ensnaring the Kusa-nin within the web of wire, binding the kunoichi to the tree, the wire biting into her skin. The kunoichi trembled, her face a mask of pain and distaste, as if she couldn't believe that she'd been caught. He pinned most of the wire to the ground, keeping one between his teeth as he flashed through hand sign. Fire danced around him before shooting down the wire, hitting the kunoichi point blank and creating a hole through the bark of the tree. The kunoichi screamed, pain lacing it as her face contorted in agony. When the attack ended, it revealed the kunoichi, still bound to the tree, her shoulders slumped and her head sagging into her chest.

"Are you okay?" Sakura ran to the Uchiha's side, noticing his breathlessness. The latter was panting doggedly; sweat beading his forehead, his hands resting on his knees to support himself. Minato kept his eyes on the kunoichi, who suddenly jerked and snapped the ninja wire. He raised his head. Half his face had peeled off, revealing pale skin and a golden, snake-like eye. 'There's no doubt about it. He really is Orochimaru,' Minato thought, as Orochimaru clasped his hands together in a hand seal and paralysed his two team mates again.

"I'm impressed that you can use your Sharingan so well at your age. You live up to the name of Uchiha after all," the 'Kusa-nin's' voice slowly sounding more like a man's. He put a hand up to his hitai-ate, "I want you after all." When he removed his hand, the Kusa symbol was replaced by that of Oto's. "You two are definitely brothers. Your eyes say that you carry more potential than Itachi," Orochimaru said.

"Who are you?" Sasuke demanded. Orochimaru tossed their scroll and caught it, holding it in front of him, "My name is Orochimaru. If you wish to see me again, get through this exam as if your life depended on it. In other words, you'll have to defeat my subordinates, the three Oto-nin," the scroll started to burn.

"What are you talking about? We never want to see your face again!" Sakura shouted boldly.

"It doesn't work that way," Orochimaru's hand flew into a hand seal and his neck shot upwards, elongating. It twisted in the air like a snake before shooting towards Sasuke.

Minato tackled the ebony haired Gennin to the ground and lashed out with his foot, catching Orochimaru in the chin, sending the latter's neck upwards. The man's neck snapped back on course as Minato stood protectively before his comrade once more. The man's head shot towards Minato, who withdrew a kunai from his pouch and gripped it, readying himself for an attack. Orochimaru's neck suddenly swerved to the side as he tried to get at Sasuke. Minato whipped around and launched his kunai, pinning the man's neck to a tree. Rage contorted the man's face as his neck stretched from where it was pinned by the kunai and continued on. 'Damn it! He's so persistent! I guess I have no choice but to do _that_,' Minato thought, putting his hands behind his back and gripping his wrist as chakra started to gather within his palm.

Orochimaru's eyes widened as he sensed chakra being built up, but shrugged it off despite the danger of doing so. 'The only ones who knew how to do that are that accursed Namikaze, my oaf of a team mate, and maybe Kakashi. The Namikaze died and the other two can't be here, so it's impossible,' Orochimaru continued on, Sasuke his objective. Minato kept his eyes on Orochimaru, or more precisely, his head, as he prepped his attack. The neck turned discreetly under the branch, trying to get the Uchiha from behind.

Orochimaru congratulated himself as he got near his prize, only for him to be jolted from his musings as the blond brat appeared to his side, ramming a Rasengan into his head, the two continuing on until they hit the trunk of the tree, the attack tearing away at the side of his head, his fangs sinking harmlessly into the bark of the tree. In that brief moment, he saw the Namikaze attacking him instead. "Damn you Namikaze!" Orochimaru howled, Minato's eyes widening a fraction.

The blond unsealed his tanto and drove it through the man's temple, feeling the tanto hit wood as it went out the other side of the man's head. Minato panted at the combination of attacks he'd used, the twelve-year-old body not suited for such strain. The figure melted, causing Minato to pull the tanto out and turn around, his eyes wide. He ran to the Uchiha's side and pushed the raven haired boy to the ground, the latter grunting in protest. He yanked the Uchiha's collar down, heaving a sigh of relief when he noticed the significant lack of a cursed seal.

"Um… Is Sasuke-kun okay?" Sakura chanced, her voice shaky.

"I'm okay, now get off me Naruto!" Sasuke elbowed the blond off of himself. Minato put a finger to the ground and sensed the Snake Sannin, but his presence was moving away from them, and he couldn't detect anyone else. Deeming it safe, he sealed his tanto and joined his two team mates.

"Sasuke-kun, who was that?" Sakura asked her crush, hoping that he would be able to shed some light on the situation.

"That was the Snake Sannin, Orochimaru. He's an S-class nuke-nin and we're lucky that he didn't continue to attack, or we'd be dead," Minato answered.

"We should get going. He might come back," Sasuke lead them away from the place.

"What are we going to do about the scrolls? He burned our heaven scroll," Sakura asked as they sped through the forest.

"Don't worry. I have one," Minato assured his pink haired team mate.

"How?" Sakura asked.

"Remember the ninja who attacked you two earlier on? His team mates attacked me while I was peeing. I sort of 'borrowed' the scroll from them," Minato replied modestly, spinning in a small lie. The team managed to find shelter for the night between the roots of a large tree, Sakura taking first watch as the other two slept, seeing as they had exhausted themselves more, Minato having healed all minor injuries. Minato took a sealing scroll out from his pouch and unsealed a pot of ink and a brush, before drawing the seal he'd used in the exams on the surface of one of the gnarled roots. He activated the seal and held onto the root for support as he adjusted to the effects of the seal. The sensory threads were scattered, covering most of the area, including the tree that three Oto-nin were hiding in.

"I found you. We're going to strike at daybreak, like Orochimaru-sama ordered us to. Our target is strictly Uchiha Sasuke," the bandaged one, clearly the leader, instructed his team mates.

"But if the other two get in the way, we can kill them, right?" the spiky haired one drawled.

"Of course," was the reply. The female remained silent. Minato's eyes shot open and he deactivated the seal before carving out the bark and burning it to ensure that no one would find it.

"Sakura, would it be okay if I take the last watch?" Minato asked, receiving a nod for a reply.

"Thanks," Minato flopped onto the ground, turned over, sleep rushing to greet him.

The first two watches were uneventful, Minato being woken up by his raven haired team mate. He bolted into a sitting position, wide awake as his eyes drifted over to his raven haired team mate, noticing the sleepiness in his eyes. The Uchiha collapsed onto the ground, asleep before he hit the dirt. Minato smiled softly, moving over to take up the space Sasuke had left, noticing that it was nearing daybreak. He glanced up at the sky, the sun struggling to push its rays through the dense clouds. Finally, the first rays of sunlight broke through, illuminating the forest. Mist hung dreamily in the air high in the canopy as the dawn chorus broke out. He glanced back at his team mates, both of whom were still fast asleep, tired out by the events of the previous day.

Suddenly, the bushes rustled, 'It's some kind of small animal,' Minato withdrew a kunai. A squirrel emerged from the bushes and made its way towards him. When the squirrel got close, he broke its neck, ripped the explosive tag off, wrapped it around a kunai and threw it in the direction of the three Oto-nin in one swift motion. Minato held the limp squirrel up and sighed, 'This isn't going to feed all three of us.'

The three Oto-nin approached but he kept his eyes on the squirrel until he heard, "Can you wake Sasuke-kun for us? We want to fight him."

"I don't think I can," Minato replied good naturedly, putting the dead squirrel down.

"I'll kill that one. I'll even kill that Sasuke guy," the spiky haired one boasted, standing up.

"Let's kill them," the leader announced, the three making a beeline for the blond. Minato put a hand on the ground and activated a trap. Kunai rained down on them, forcing them to dodge every which way and giving Minato time to set up a barrier around his two team mates using seals.

"Konoha Senpu!" rang out as the three were scattered like bowling pins once the barrage ended. Lee appeared in a fighting stance, the wind dramatically blowing his hair to the side.

"Who are you?" the leader demanded much like Sasuke had before.

"Konoha's beautiful green beast, Rock Lee!" Lee introduced himself.

The boy turned to Minato and asked, "Oh hi, Naruto. Where's Sakura?"

"She's safe, but why are you here?" Minato questioned, not that he wasn't grateful for the assistance.

"I will always appear whenever Sakura is in danger," Lee declared.

"But right now, she, as well as Sasuke and I, are your enemies," Minato reminded the green clad Gennin.

"I will protect her, as well as her team mates if need be, until I die," Lee said, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I guess I have no choice. Zaku, I leave Sasuke to you. I'll kill these two," the leader of the Oto team tossed an earth scroll towards the spiky haired one, now identified as Zaku. The bandaged one charged at Lee, only for the latter to pull a root from the ground to block the attack.

"I'm still at a disadvantage. It's one against three. I'll have to take a gamble. I will defeat them one by one with all I've got!" Lee proclaimed.

"Lee-san, I can fight you know," Minato reminded the leotard wearing boy.

"Oops, sorry," Lee sheepishly scratched the back of his head, giving the dramatic scene an anti climatic ending. The bandaged one charged at Lee, only for Lee to disappear and reappear, launching a foot upwards, catching the Oto-nin and sending the latter into the air.

"I'm not done!" Lee shouted, his bandages unravelling and binding the Oto-nin. Lee grabbed hold of the Oto-nin and spun in freefall, head first, "Omote Renge!" Zaku started flashing through hand signs before Minato launched a kunai at the boy, stabbing the latter's hand. Zaku growled and pulled the kunai out, glancing around, only to see Minato sitting innocently on the floor. The two landed, the Oto-nin taking the full force of the attack. Lee jumped away, his bandages trailing behind him. The Oto-nin got out of the ground, horribly injured but still moving.

"Impossible!" Lee breathed, as the Oto-nin charged at him. Minato withdrew a few senbon from his pouch and threw them, heaving a sigh of relief as the Oto-nin dropped to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut, two senbon protruding from his neck. The blond had seen what a punch from the Oto-nin had done to Kabuto and didn't want to take any chances. The girl got behind him, but he stayed still, wanting to see what she'd do. Suddenly, he felt his hair being jerked as he realised that the girl had grabbed his hair.

"Your hair's glossier than mine. If you have time to take care of your hair, train more! Trying to be sexy?" she taunted, yanking at his hair again. He could sense Sakura approaching Zaku having engaged Lee. Sakura channelled chakra into her fist as the Oto kunoichi was distracted with her team mate. Her fist connected with the girl's head, and she sent her other fist into the ebony haired girl's back, her blond team mate using his hands to hold the girl in place and locking his legs around her ankles to stop the Oto kunoichi from moving. The girl let go of Minato's hair and collapsed to the ground, where Sakura punched her in the stomach for good measure.

The Oto kunoichi glowered at the two of them from the ground as Minato said, "By the way, I'm a boy," before turning his attention to Sakura.

"Thanks Sakura. Are you okay? How's Sasuke?" Minato thanked his pink haired team mate.

"My hand stings, but otherwise I'm okay. Sasuke-kun's still sleeping. I'll watch over him for now. You go help Lee," Sakura told the blond.

Minato nodded and turned his attention to Lee and Zaku, smiling inwardly as he sensed Team 10 and two others spying on them. 'Well, it doesn't look like he needs any help. Looks like he even broke the guy's arms!' Minato thought, walking over to the bandaged one. He pulled the needles out of the Oto-nin's neck, the latter still in a state of false death. The ebony haired kunoichi struggled to get up, her arms shaking under the strain. Minato dug in the bandaged one's pouch and found the Earth scroll. "Please… let me leave. There's… something we want to find out. I promise… we won't run or hide… if we face off in the finals," the Oto kunoichi begged, spitting blood onto the ground as she walked over to her team mates.

No one moved to stop her as she slung her team mates over her shoulders and disappeared.

A brown haired kunoichi dropped down from the trees and landed beside Lee. "Tenten?" Lee said in surprise.

"We came to help. Why did you take action on your own? On top of that, you're hurt!" Tenten reprimanded.

"Sakura-san was in danger, so as a man, I had to…" Lee trailed off.

"You really are an idiot," Tenten chided lightly.

"I can't argue with that…" Lee stared wistfully down at his feet.

"I can try to heal him if you'd like," Minato offered, seeing Lee get reprimanded.

"No, it's okay," Lee replied.

Minato smiled serenely and walked over to their hideout where he saw Sakura waiting patiently outside. He ripped the seal tag off the tree. His team mates could get out of the barrier but people couldn't get in. That was how the seal worked. Sakura rushed in and woke Sasuke up, the latter having missed the fight. Sasuke glanced blearily at his team mates, his body still aching and weak from the previous battle with Orochimaru. He got up and joined his team mates as they exited the hideout, surprised to see all the Konoha Gennin besides Team 8. The three teams went their separate ways, although all three headed for the tower. The trip to the tower was uneventful. They went through the double doors and stepped into a large hall, all of them relatively unharmed aside from bruises and scratches.

"Look at that!" Sakura diverted her team mates' attention to the large sign on the wall.

"If you do not possess heaven, gain knowledge and be prepared. If you do not possess earth, run through the fields and seek strength. If you open both heaven and earth scrolls, dangerous paths turn into safe ones. This is the secret of something something. It shall lead you on your way," Sasuke read.

"I think its telling us to open both scrolls," Sakura concluded.

"Then let's open it," Minato said. They tugged open the scrolls and what caught their attention was the kanji for 'person' on it.

'Summoning inscriptions?' Minato glanced down at the scroll in his hands.

"Naruto, Sakura! Let go of those scrolls!" Sasuke shouted. The two hurled the scrolls away, watching as an explosion went off where they landed. The smoke dispersed, revealing a very smug looking Iruka. "What's going on?" Sakura shouted, her confusion obvious.

"Looks like you three went through quite a lot. Well, we Chunin are to welcome the examinees at the end of this exam. I was given the duty to pass the three of you a message by chance. Congratulations on passing the Second Test in the Chunin Exams," Iruka smiled.

"I see. Iruka-sensei, what were you going to do if we opened the scrolls during the exam?" Sasuke challenged.

"You're as sharp as ever, Sasuke," Iruka complimented.

"As you've guessed, this exam tests your mission completion ability. So, if you break the rules and open the scroll, we were ordered to knock out the examinees until the exam ended," Iruka informed them.

"Anyway, this is the principle Hokage-sama wrote that you should keep in mind as a Chunin. The heaven in this text points to the head of a person and earth points to the body. If you do not possess heaven, gain knowledge and be prepared. If you do not possess earth, you should train yourself every day. That's what it means. And if you have both heaven and earth attributes, any dangerous missions will become safe. It can even become easy," Iruka concluded.

"So, what's missing there?" Sakura questioned.

"The symbol that was on the scroll," Iruka smiled, holding the scroll up. "You may proceed. There are rooms set up for those who pass early on, and good luck for the final round," Iruka finished. The last two days were uneventful, and the team managed to recuperate within that time. The 21 people who passed gathered in another large hall on the fifth day after the Second Exam was over.

"First off, congratulations on passing the Second Exam. We will now have an explanation of the third exam from Hokage-sama. Everyone listen well," Anko announced through her headset.

"The Third Exam will begin. But before the explanation there's one thing I want to make clear to all of you. It's about the true purpose of this exam. Why we do a joint exam with allied nations. 'To maintain good relations with the allied nations' and 'heighten the level of the ninja' do not let those reasons deceive you. This exam so to speak is the epitome of a war between allied nations. If we go back in history, the allied nations right now were neighbouring countries that have fought each other over and over again. To avoid wasting military power, those countries decided to choose a place to fight. That was the beginning of the Chunin Selection Exam. This exam does examine those who are worthy of the title of Chunin, but on the other hand, it's also a place where ninja fight and carry their country's dignity. In this Third Exam, feudal lords and famous people from various countries who may be potential clients are invited here as guests. And feudal lords from countries with hidden villages and ninja leaders will see your battles. If there is a significant difference in power, the strong country will be flooded with jobs. If a country is seen as weak, their jobs will decrease. And at the same time, countries are able to show how their village has grown and possess excellent military power to the other countries. In other words they can put foreign pressure on them. A country's power is the village's power. A village's power is the ninja's power. And a ninja's true power is only born in life-or-death battles. This exam is also a place to show off the ninja power of one's country. Since this is an exam where you fight with your life on the line, it has a meaning. And your predecessors have fought and dreamed of being in the Chunin Exam because of it. This is a life-or-death battle for your dreams and village's dignity," the Sandaime concluded.

"I don't care. Just tell us the details," Gaara voiced.

"Then I will now begin the explanation of the Third Exam but…" the Sandaime trailed off as a ninja landed before him.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama. I, Gekko Hayate, the judge, will explain," the ninja said.

"Please do," was the reply.

"Everyone, it's nice to meet you. Before the Third Exam, there's something I want you to do. Fight in a Preliminary Matches to see who gets to advance to the Third Exam's main battle," Hayate said between coughs.

"Preliminary Matches? What do you mean?" Shikamaru shouted.

"There are too many examinees left. We have to decrease the number of participants for the Third Exam. As previously mentioned by the Hokage, there are many guests for the Third Exam, so we can't just have a lot of matches. We are limited on time as well, so those who aren't feeling well…" Hayate began coughing.

"Excuse me. Those who want to quit, please let me know. The preliminary matches will begin immediately. I forgot to mention this, but it'll be one-on-one matches from now on, so please withdraw if you wish.

Kabuto raised his hand and declared, "I quit. I'm completely worn out,"

"Konoha's Yakushi Kabuto. You may leave," Hayate said, flipping the papers on his clipboard. Kabuto waved jovially at Team7 before departing.

"Then, let's begin the preliminary matches. They will be one-on-one battles. In other words, it's like actual combat. Now that we have 20 people, there will be 10 matches. The winners will advance to the Third Exam. There are no rules. You will fight until the other person dies, admits defeat or is knocked out. If you don't want to die, please give up immediately. However, if I deem the match over, I may stop you to prevent any unnecessary deaths. That computer will randomly display the names of the fighters for the each match. Without further ado, I will now display the names for the first match," Hayate announced. The 20 Gennin stared at the screen with bated breath, anticipating who would battle, and against whom.

**A/N: I cut it short. Sorry. Can't think. Headache. Please correct my mistakes and review. Thank you. I'm going to sleep until tomorrow comes. Enjoy the rest of your day.**


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Preliminaries… Reminds me of my PSLE prelims. But that's over. Now I have O-levels to slave over. Sigh… Anyway, here's another chapter. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

Babyuknowme13: I went to your profile page. I like the extra instalments nyan~! I wanted to put it on my profile but my com crashed while I was doing so…

Chapter 18: Preliminaries Part 1

**Akadou Yoroi vs. Uchiha Sasuke**

The two whose names were displayed on the board stepped forward while everyone else moved up to the mezzanine floor. Kakashi stopped near Sasuke, but decided against it and continued on. 'Don't push yourself, Sasuke,' Kakashi thought as everyone stared down in anticipation. "Begin," Hayate announced, jumping back to give the competitors space to fight. Yoroi formed a hand seal and chakra flared around his hand as he reached into his weapons pouch. Sasuke reached into his own and brought out a kunai just as his opponent let loose a few shuriken. Sasuke reflected the shuriken and charged, kunai in hand.

Yoroi launched a punch which Sasuke dodged and lashed out with a punch of own, feeling it connect. He was about to pull his arm back when it was caught by Yoroi, chakra dancing around the latter's hand again. Sasuke felt his energy slipping away and suddenly felt very drained, falling to his knees. Yoroi punched the downed Uchiha in the gut for good measure before leaping away, leaving Sasuke on all fours, coughing. Yoroi gave a battle cry and charged, grabbing Sasuke's head and shoving him onto the floor. Sasuke grabbed his assailant's arm, trying futilely to get him off. "My chakra… Are you…" Sasuke choked out.

"Finally figured it out?" Yoroi teased, as more of Sasuke's chakra was sapped away.

"Get off!" Sasuke brought his foot up to Yoroi's abdomen and summoned his remaining strength to kick him off. Yoroi was pushed off, and skidded to a halt.

"Don't worry. I'll end it quickly," Yoroi taunted, his hand alight with chakra as he charged again and thrust his palm at Sasuke, the latter dancing around his attacks. Yoroi's hand missed his hair by centimetres as he crouched down and shoved his fist into his opponent's abdomen, causing the boy to fly back a few feet.

"Seems like you can still move, but this is the end!" Yoroi declared, charging once again. Yoroi thrust his hand, Sasuke backpedalling with each attempt as he dodged the attack. A smirk broke out on Sasuke's lips and he disappeared, causing Lee's eyes to widen. The Uchiha reappeared beneath Yoroi as his foot made contact with the masked Gennin's chin, sending Yoroi flying. Sasuke put his hands on the ground to brace himself as he disappeared again, reappearing beneath the airborne Yoroi.

"From here on out, it's all original," Sasuke muttered, putting a hand on Yoroi's back. Yoroi's eyes widened behind the shades as he was forcefully spun around and a kick was aimed at his side.

He brought an arm up to block the incoming attack, saying, "Not good enough." Sasuke twisted out from under him and spun in mid air, using the momentum to power his attack as he brought his arm down onto Yoroi's face, sending the latter towards the ground head first.

Sasuke cocked back his other fist and delivered a vicious bunch to Yoroi's face, speeding up the fall as he shouted, "I'm not done!" Sasuke flipped in midair, bringing his leg up and letting gravity do its job as he powered his leg into Yoroi's abdomen shouting, "Shishi Rendan!" Blood flew past Yoroi's lips as Sasuke skidded away on his back, away from Yoroi. To the crowd above Yoroi lay prone on the floor, blood covering his mask, spider web cracks running from where he impacted with the floor. Sasuke got up slowly, his body shaking as he brought a hand up to his mouth and wiped away the blood, panting heavily.

"I will stop this match now. The winner of this round is Sasuke. He passes the preliminary rounds," Hayate announced. Sasuke smirked, falling into a sitting position as the onlookers analysed what had just occurred, ominous looks on their faces. The medics loaded Yoroi onto a stretcher and carried him away to the infirmary. Sasuke shakily got to his feet and made his way to the mezzanine floor with the help of Kakashi. The screen started up again displaying the names of the next two fighters.

**Zaku Abumi vs. Aburame Shino**

Zaku smirked and said, "So who's the other weakling." The two boys made their way down to the arena and faced each other, waiting with bated breath for the proctor to start the match.

"Begin," Hayate made way for the two fighters yet again.

"If you fight me here, you'll never be able to fight again. Retire," Shino stated calmly. "This one moves somehow," Zaku said, taking his left arm out of the sling.

"One arm is good enough for you!" Zaku proclaimed, charging at Shino. He struck at Shino with his arm, only for Shino to raise his own and block the strike.

"You can't beat me with just one arm," Shino stated, his voice unwavering.

"Shut up!" Zaku shouted, shoving his hand in Shino's face.

"Zankuuha!" he cried, as a large explosion erupted and engulfed Shino, the latter falling to the ground and tumbling out of the smoke. Zaku smirked, only for it to be wiped off his face as Shino stood up and scuttling noises rang out through the arena. Bugs started crawling out of Shino's skin and across his face and coat. Zaku turned around and saw a wave of bugs crawling towards him, the shock and fear evident on his face.

"If I use this many bugs, you'll never be able to fight again. If you use that move on me, I'll have the bugs attack you. If you use that attack on the bugs, I'll attack you. Either way, you cannot get through this situation. You're supposed to keep your trump card until the end," Shino brought his hands into a hand sign. Zaku grimaced at Shino, his eyes shaking.

He jerked his right hand outwards, towards the sea of bugs, and directed his other hand towards Shino shouting, "You're supposed to keep your trump cards until the end, right?" Suddenly, chakra started erupting from his arms, a stunned expression plastered on his face. "My arms!" Zaku ground out in pain, clutching his injured arms. He chanced a look at his palms and found bugs blocking the holes.

"When I recommended that you give up, I told the bugs 'Block those annoying holes with your bodies and stay still.' This is what a true trump card is," Shino stated calmly.

"Shut up!" Zaku shouted, cocking a fist back and turning around to punch Shino, only to feel a fist connect with his cheek as he was beaten to the punch, literally.

Hayate bent down to inspect Zaku and found that holes were blown into his arms when the chakra burst out, "I guess this match is over. Winner, Aburame Shino." Zaku was bundled into a stretcher and carried off as Shino wordlessly made his way back onto the platform, his team mates congratulating him on his win.

**Tsurugi Misumi vs. Kankuro **

Kankuro unstrapped the figure on his back and it landed on the floor with a thud. "Begin," Hayate announced.

"Victory goes to the swiftest!" Misumi struck out with his arm. Kankuro blocked it, smirking, but that was wiped off his face when Misumi's arm extended and started to wrap around his arm as Misumi himself bound his body, forcing him to drop the bandaged figure.

"Unless you give up, I will continue strangling you," Misumi tightened his grip around Kankuro.

"Idiot. You're the one who's gonna die," Kankuro taunted, only for Misumi to carry out his threat and snap the Suna-nin's neck.

Kankuro's head snapped towards Misumi and rasped, "Now, it's my turn!" Wooden appendages wound around Misumi, securing him in place as Kankuro's form changed to that of a puppet. A hand jerked out from the bandages and pulled, revealing the real Kankuro. Chakra strings trailed from Kankuro's fingers to the puppet, controlling it.

The appendages began tightening around Misumi, causing the latter to choke out, "I gi-" His words turned into a scream as he was crushed to death. The puppet and Misumi fell to the floor.

"Since his opponent is unable to fight, the winner is Kankuro," Hayate coughed. Misumi was loaded onto a stretcher like his team mate before him, and sent to the infirmary. Sakura frowned and excused herself, making a beeline for the toilet. She shut the door and ran the water, smoothing her hair with the liquid, before frowning again and looking up.

"You're scared aren't you? Even Sasuke-kun was so badly hurt. Actually, he got away with such light injuries because it was him fighting. If it was you, I wouldn't want to think about it. You should give up," Ino taunted.

"Give up? Who's gonna do that? Actually, I can't wait for my turn," Sakura responded to the jab, giving her rival a fierce gaze before walking out of the bathroom.

**Haruno Sakura vs. Yamanaka Ino**

The two girls met each other once again in the arena. "Begin," Hayate started the match. Sakura swiped at Ino with her leg, the latter ducking under the attack and returning it with a punch, which was blocked and pushed away by Sakura. Sakura dropped to the floor and swept her leg, trying to unbalance Ino, only for Ino to jump over it and duck under a kick that went over her head in a wide arc before jumping away. Sakura pulled three kunai out and released them, Ino dodging two and catching one between her fingers. The blond launched the projectile back at its owner, Sakura deflecting it by throwing another kunai. They charged at each other once more, Sakura throwing a punch which was blocked by Ino, the latter breaking away, panting. Sakura charged once more, punching again, Ino blocking it once again.

The two lashed out with their legs, forming an 'X' in the middle as they crossed each other out. Ino let loose a hail of punches, which were intercepted and pushed away by the pink haired kunoichi. The last punch was caught as Sakura drove a chakra laced fist into Ino's stomach, before raising a hand and stopping mid way, reminiscing the times they'd been together. Ino recovered and seemed stunned as well. They stood there before Sakura broke the silence shouting, "I'm not going to fight with you over Sasuke anymore. You and Sasuke just don't match. I'm also stronger than you now. You're not even a rival!"

"Sakura! Do you know who you're talking to like that? You cry baby!" Ino shot back. Sakura smiled, untying the hitai-ate. Ino let a shocked expression cross her face before doing the same to hers, both of them tying the hitai-ate to their foreheads at the same time. Sakura charged at Ino, creating two Bunshin at the same time. Ino stood her ground, concentrating on picking out the real one when Sakura tackled her, channelling chakra to her feet to put more power behind her attack, sending Ino tumbling.

"If you still take me for a cry baby, you're gonna lose! Fight me seriously Ino!" Sakura exclaimed.

Ino got up, wiping the side of her mouth, "I'm happy to hear that. I'll go all out with you as you've requested!" The two charged at each other, battling for dominance, but matching up in everything.

"There's no way you're as good as me!" Ino shouted across the arena.

"If you keep spending that much time with your looks and hair, you'll never match up to me," Sakura taunted.

Ino withdrew a kunai from her weapons pouch, "Stop underestimating me!" Ino brought the kunai up to her hair and cut it to match Sakura's. Those from Team 10 stared on in shock as Ino threw the severed hair at Sakura. Ino held her hands out in a seal, before Sakura started talking about the weak points of Shintenshin no Jutsu. Ino executed the move, only for Sakura to run away and both their bodies to slump forward. Sakura lifted her head and smirked, but found that she couldn't move her legs. Ino lifted her head, having created a rope of chakra to bind Sakura using her hair. This time, Ino didn't miss. Just as Ino was about to put her hand up, she shuddered and stopped, bringing her hands up to her head, clutching it saying, "Sakura? That's impossible."

"What is it? Are you going to give up?" Hayate inquired, before Ino-Sakura raised her head and shouted, "There's no way I'm going to give up damn it!" Ino-Sakura clasped her hands into a hand sign, causing Ino's spirit to return to its original body. Sakura slumped onto the floor, gasping for breath, Ino doing the same.

"You have two minds? Who are you?" Ino panted.

"I have the strength to match my beauty. After all, girls have to be strong," Sakura replied, a smirk gracing her lips. The two got up shakily, on their last legs as they charged at each other, meeting in the middle. Both punches connected. Both Ino and Sakura were sent back, blood flying from their mouths. The two propped themselves up on their elbows, struggling to get up. Ino went down first, Sakura getting onto her knees, a smile ghosting across her lips before falling face first onto the floor.

"This match has ended. Due to the double KO, none advance to the Third Exam," Hayate announced. The two were carried back onto the mezzanine floor by their respective Jounin senseis and set side by side on the floor, their backs resting on the wall.

**Tenten vs. Temari **

"Begin!" Hayate called. Tenten jumped away, Lee and Gai shouting and cheering for her. Tenten jumped upwards and unleashed a few shuriken, Temari using wind to deflect the projectiles.

"I missed? That can't be!" Tenten landed on the ground. Temari reached for her fan, Tenten breaking out into a run, keeping her distance at the same time. Tenten launched herself into the air again, pulling out a scroll and swiping it open. She twirled in the air, creating a cocoon around herself, projectiles raining down from her position. All of the weapons missed.

"What? My weapons! Is there a trick to that fan?" Tenten muttered.

"This is the first moon. There's two more. Once you see all three, you lose," Temari smirked. Tenten whipped out another two scrolls, holding them before her.

"Whatever you do, it's useless," Temari taunted as Tenten placed the two scrolls on the floor adjacent to each other and started making hand seals,

"Soushoryu!" A large plume of smoke engulfed the arena before twin dragons made of smoke burst forth, circling each other in perfect sync. The smoke sloughed off, leaving two scrolls spinning in mid air, Tenten at the centre. The latter then launched herself upwards once more, towards the source of the two trails, and proceeded to unseal all the weapons and hurl them at Temari at a rapid pace.

"Second moon!" Temari announced, moving her fan in a sweeping arc, blowing away all the weapons.

The scrolls fell lifelessly to the floor, "I'm not done!" Tenten flipped through the air, ninja wire trailing from her fingers as she collected all the weapons from the floor and whipped her arms, causing the weapons to be directed at Temari yet again. Temari smirked and blew the weapons away, Tenten getting hit by her own weapons as a backlash. She skidded across the floor, blood dripping from her wounds.

"Third moon," Temari's fan was fully spread out behind her. Temari swept the fan and completed a revolution before vanishing. Tenten glanced around, before catching sight of Temari floating in the air above her, landing perfectly on the ground before her.

"Ninpou: Kamaitachi," Temari gave another sweep of her fan, before a tornado engulfed the brunette, the wind slicing into her, before she fell from the sky, unable to move. Temari shifted her fan, Tenten falling onto the butt of her fan, coughing out a mouthful of blood.

"That was boring. Very boring," Temari griped.

"Winner, Temari," Hayate announced, walking over to the two. A sadistic smirk crossed Temari's lips as she flicked her fan, sending Tenten flying. Lee jumped out to catch her before she hit the wall.

"Is that something you should do to someone who's fought her hardest?" Lee shouted.

"Shut up. Take that trash and leave," Temari commanded, slamming her closed fan onto the ground.

**Nara Shikamaru vs. Tsuchi Kin**

Shikamaru clasped his hand into a seal and drawled, "Ninpou: Kagemane no Jutsu." Kin looked questioningly at him before releasing two senbon with bells tied at the end. Shikamaru moved into a squat, his hands still in the hand seal. Kin smirked, moving backwards as she made to throw another two before screeching to a halt.

She trembled, forcing her body to move. Her eyes gravitated to the ground, noticing the link between her shadow and her opponent's.

"What?" Kin shouted, as her hands flew to the area above her head and bent at the wrists. Shikamaru started moving his hands about, Kin mirroring his movements. Shikamaru reached into his pouch and produced a shuriken, smirking as he did so. "Are you stupid? If you attack like that, you're going to get hurt too," Kin's eyes widened.

"I know. We're gonna stab each other with shuriken now, let's see who'll hold out longer," Shikamaru tossed the shuriken, Kin's body doing the same. Shikamaru dodged the shuriken, Kin's body doing the same, a smirk spreading on her face before her head came into contact with the wall, knocking her out. Shikamaru flipped back to his feet saying, "Ninja need to grasp the landscape and situation, then fight. Even if we move the same, our distances to the walls are different. I just used the shuriken to get your attention away from the wall." Hayate raised his hand in Shikamaru's direction, announcing the latter as the winner.

**Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba **

Minato made his way down to the arena and faced Kiba. "Drawing you as my opponent means I've already won!" Kiba proclaimed. Minato remained silent, his eyes growing cold. 'Naruto-kun… I'm sorry, but there's no way he can beat Kiba,' Kurenai turned to Kakashi.

"Begin," Hayate said, stepping back.

Kiba bent down next to Akamaru, making a hand seal, "Gijyuu Ninpou: Shikyaku no Jutsu." Chakra leaked from his being as he got down on all fours, his nails lengthening and sharpening. Kiba charged, his speed enhanced as he rocketed towards Minato. The latter just sidestepped, backpedalling as he dodged the subsequent swipes.

"Kiba, you really should use Akamaru. You need him in your attacks don't you? If I have to fight, I want you to be at your full power," Minato stated, catching a punch and pushing it away.

"Fine! I'll go all out now! Just don't come crying to me when I whoop your ass!" Kiba shouted, tossing a food pill to Akamaru, the latter swallowing the pill. Kiba consumed one himself as Akamaru's fur turned red and the dog itself became more feral. Akamaru jumped onto its master's head as Kiba slapped his hands into a hand seal, "Gijyuu Ninpou: Jyuujin Bunshin!" Smoke went off, and where Akamaru once was, there was a Kiba clone in its place. "Now this match will end. Let's go!" Kiba and the Kiba clone jumped away from each other, the two gunning for Minato.

Minato flipped onto his hands and away from the two. Kiba and Akamaru made passes repeatedly, only to have Minato dodge all attempts. "Damn it!" Kiba shouted before smirking as Minato jumped upwards. "I see an opening! Gatsuuga!" Kiba and the clone started to rotate rapidly, forming twin drills. Minato's eyes widened as the attack powered towards him, digging up the arena floor. The attack connected and Minato was sent flying several feet. "Proctor, call the match. He-" Kiba was face planted into the ground, hard enough to cause spider web cracks to spread from where his face had come into contact with the floor.

The 'Minato' on the floor poofed out of existence, revealing that it was a shadow clone. Kiba got up, blood streaming from his nose, his lips pulled back in a snarl. Kiba pulled two orbs from his pouch and tossed them at Minato, turning his body into a drill, Akamaru doing the same. Purple smoke engulfed Minato, the twin drills cutting into the smoke, attacking blindly in the smoke. Everyone stared down at the large smoke screen, thinking, 'There's no way Naruto could come out of that unscathed.' The drills stopped and the smoke slowly dissipated, Kiba and the Kiba clone peering intently into the smoke, only for their eyes to widen when the smoke cleared and the blond was nowhere to be seen. Kiba whipped around, catching his opponent's scent and bringing a hand up to block an arm strike from a very battered looking Minato. The latter jumped away, having accomplished his task.

Kiba produced another two orbs and hurled them at Minato again, ripping into the smoke once again. The smoke dissipated once more, revealing a bloody and bruised Minato. Kiba panted, feeling drained. The Inuzuka brought a hand up to his vision, his breathing ragged. "Damn it!" Kiba shouted, signalling for another attack. Kiba and the clone charged at Minato, swiping wildly at the blond, the latter dodging or blocking all their attacks. Kiba's arm lashed out, his claws scratching four bleeding lines into the blond's cheek, before the former's eyes widened and he pitched forward, ending up on all fours, panting doggedly, his chest heaving, sweat dripping down his nose.

"Why's this happening?" Kiba looked up at Minato as the Kiba clone returned to its master's side. Kiba staggered to his feet, Kiba struck out at Minato, only for Minato to raise an arm and block the strike. Kiba fell to his knees, shaking as he tried desperately to get up, growling in frustration. Kiba stood shakily, throwing a weak punch before hurtling head first into a void of darkness. Minato caught the brunet before he could collapse, the Kiba clone growling menacingly at him before reverting back into Akamaru.

Hayate walked up to Kiba and inspected the boy before announcing, "Winner, Naruto." Minato put his hand on Kiba's arm and removed the seal. The effect was instantaneous. Kiba's eyes shot open and he pushed himself up off the floor into a sitting position.

"Damn you Naruto!" Kiba growled, his eyes flashing dangerously, "What did you do to me?"

Minato laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, saying, "I kinda put a seal on you that would absorb your chakra. The more you moved, the more chakra it absorbed. I removed it, so your chakra was returned."

"Damn you! You humiliated me!" Kiba snarled, picking Minato up by his collar.

"No, but what's important is if you're happy that you went all out. That way you wouldn't have regretted it if you'd lost," Minato reasoned.

Kiba noticed the subtle hint. Minato had said 'if' he'd lost, not 'when' he lost. That was saying that he'd more or less gone all out too. Kiba punched Minato in the cheek before grinning and letting the blond down, "Next time, I'll kick your ass so hard, you'll go crying to your mommy."

"I look forward to it," Minato returned the grin and they rejoined their teams. Minato looked to Sasuke, who'd recovered enough to stand, and the two bumped fists, both having made it to the Third Exam. The names on the screen started to rotate again, displaying **Hyuuga Hinata vs. Hyuuga Neji**. Hinata looked up fearfully at the screen, before letting her pupil-less eyes towards Neji. It was a battle between cousins.

**A/N: Kinda lost interest cuz the rest of the battles are canon. It's kinda boring just describing canon events, but I'll go on with it, sometime this year... Sakura didn't chop her hair off, she cut it short after spending time on Kakashi's squad. Sorry this is kinda short, and maybe boring... Anyways, please review, especially if you have questions or some part of my fic is wrong. Really late poll but...**

**Sasuke**

**1) Receive the curse seal**

**2) Doesn't receive the curse seal**

**Just tell me the number of your option nyan~! Thx! :) (Sob... :'( I wanna just cry!) **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Okay. On with the Prelims. Sigh…**

**Aura Ninja- Hee hee nyan~! You're the only 1 who wants Sasuke to receive the cursed seal. Every time I read the reviews I get, I can't stop laughing. I don't know why.**

**Something- Anonymous review? Okay… Are you a girl? Sorry. Retarded question. My head's full of random stuff. Anyway, Sasuke could have used jutsu, but if you think about it, it's better that he didn't because that was only the prelims. All he needs to do is pass. The big guns can come out during the actual Third Exam. Same for Minato. If they underestimate Minato, all the better.**

**Please remember that I'm not a doctor so if anyone who is reading this is, please correct the thing about the VF and flatline.**

Chapter 19: Preliminaries Part 2

Minato stared down at Hinata's battered body as Hayate called the match. Many emotions were bubbling in his chest as he fought to keep them from showing on his visage. Neji had brutally beaten her down, but she kept getting up. Never giving up. 'She's about as stubborn as Kushina,' Minato felt tears welling in his eyes before blinking them away. Hinata got up again, blood spilling from the corners of her mouth as she talked to Neji, sympathising with him. Unfortunately, it did not have the desired effect and only served to further anger the brunet as he charged at the defenceless Hinata. The proctor ran after the boy, as well as the other Konoha Jounin instructors, all of whom restrained Neji and prevented him from further hurting his cousin. Suddenly, Hinata's eyes widened and she fell to her hands and knees, coughing blood. Team 7 and Lee jumped over the railing and rushed to the Hyuuga heiress' side. "Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered.

"Don't talk," Minato urged, ripping the zipper of her jacket down before Kurenai swatted his hand away.

"What are you doing?" Kurenai demanded. Minato's eyes widened when Hinata's form was replaced by that of Kushina's lying on the hospital bed, coughing up her life blood. Kushina's form evaporated, snapping Minato out of his stupor as he ignored Kurenai and gently placed a hand on Hinata's neck and chest.

Kurenai turned to glare at Neji when Minato's voice caused her head to snap back, "90 seconds."

"What?" Kurenai turned her attention to Hinata. "She's going into Ventricular Fibrillation. Get the medics. You can't let it degenerate to asystole," Minato urged Kurenai.

"Medics! What are you doing?" Kurenai shouted at the medics on standby. The medics hastily bundled Hinata onto a stretcher and carted her off to the infirmary, the five Gennin returning to the mezzanine floor. The screen ran through names, stopping at **Sabaku no Gaara vs. Rock Lee**. Lee jumped over the railing, eager to fight Gaara. After the match, the green clad Gennin was out of commission. He had fought tooth and nail, even going so far as to open the gates to defeat Gaara, but in the end it was all in vain. He was carried away on a stretcher after Gai had intervened. The medics then pulled Gai to the side and talked to him before carrying Lee to the infirmary with utmost care. Whatever the medics had told Gai, it had left the Jounin unresponsive. The final match was **Dosu Kinuta vs. Akimichi Chouji**.

"Begin," Hayate announced.

"Go for it Chouji!" Shikamaru cheered.

"Fatty!" Ino tried to rile Chouji up to increase the Akimichi's chances of winning. A fire burned in Chouji's eyes, only to have Dosu call him fatty as well, causing the Akimichi to turn his attention to the Oto-nin.

"Ninpou: Baika no Jutsu!" Chouji's body turned into a giant bowling ball and he rolled after Dosu, only to get stuck inside a wall. Dosu jabbed an arm into the meat tank and made a one-handed seal. The result was Chouji sprawled on the floor, unconscious.

"Winner, Dosu Kinuta," Hayate announced, "That concludes the Third Exam's Preliminary matches."

"Congratulations on passing the preliminaries. I will now begin the explanation for the main matches. The main matches will take place in front of everyone. We wish for all of you to show off your abilities as your country's representative power. Therefore, the main matches will begin in one month. This time is used to inform the feudal lords and important people that the preliminaries have ended. It is also a time for you candidates to train. There are some of you who have revealed everything, so, to make things fair, use the month to work hard and train for the main fights. Take a piece of paper from the box Anko will be going around with," the Sandaime announced as Anko stepped forward with a cream coloured box filled with slips of paper.

"Okay. Everyone got one? Now tell me what number you got starting from the left," Ibiki instructed.

"Eight," Dosu drawled.

"One," Minato looked at his paper.

"Seven," Temari said.

"Five," Kankuro voiced.

"Three" Gaara said, his voice monotonous.

"Nine," Shikamaru noted.

"Two" Neji deadpanned.

"Six," Shino said.

"Four," Sasuke clenched his fist, crushing the paper.

"We will now tell you the match ups for the tournament. Ibiki, the match ups," the Sandaime inched forward.

"Hai," Ibiki turned his clip board around, displaying the chart he had drawn up.

The match ups were: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyuuga Neji

Sabaku no Gaara vs. Uchiha Sasuke

Sabaku no Kankuro vs. Aburame Shino

Sabaku no Temari vs. Dosu Kinuta

Winner of fourth match vs. Nara Shikamaru

"Wait, I have a question. If it's a tournament, that means there's only one winner. Does that mean that only one will become Chunin?" Shikamaru asked.

"No, that's not how it works. These main matches will have judges including the Kazekage, myself, the feudal lords and other potential clients. These judges will grade you by watching you in the tournament and those who are qualified will become Chunin even if they lost in the first round, so it's possible for everyone to become Chunin, and also possible for no one to become Chunin. Winning means that you get to show off your skills more. That is all. We are adjourned until next month," the Sandaime announced. The Gennin scattered, the ones in the infirmary being moved to the hospital. Team 7 decided to visit Hinata in the hospital and bumped into their sensei on their way to her ward.

"Oh, Naruto. I'm going to be training Sasuke for the tournament, so I found a suitable teacher for you," Kakashi eye smiled. Minato felt a presence behind him and turned to face the person, recognising the man to be Konohamaru's trainer.

"I understand why you have to train Sasuke. Thank you for going to the trouble of looking for a trainer for me," Minato said, turning back to Kakashi.

"Ebisu-sensei, we're going to visit our friend, so could I meet you at the bridge in half an hour?" Minato inquired, trying to be polite as images of Konohamaru knocking the man out flashed through his mind. Ebisu gave a curt nod and left the hospital with Kakashi, Minato's shoulders shaking as Ebisu walked through the doors. The moment Ebisu had exited the building he began to chuckle as they continued on their way to Hinata's ward.

"Why are you laughing?" Sakura asked, perplexed.

"It's nothing. We're here," Minato stopped laughing. Hinata's condition had been deemed stable but she was still unconscious. The three stood around her bed, Sasuke placing flowers in the vase situated on the bed side table.

"I'm going to the bridge. Take care," Minato left his two team mates in the ward as he exited through the window. The blond leapt across the rooftops, landing before the bridge that was his team's meeting place, seeing Ebisu already there.

Ebisu lead him to the hot springs and said, "To improve your control, you'll be water walking. The temperature of the water here is 60 degrees Celsius. That'll serve as a nice incentive to not drop in," Ebisu pushed his sunglasses further up the bridge of his nose. Minato shook, tentatively placing one foot on the water's surface and withdrew it when it broke through the surface tension. He tried again, plunging into the water when he overstepped. Minato surfaced, scrambling out of the water, his skin scalded. The blond tried again, managing to stay atop the water until his eyes caught the back of a familiar white haired Sannin.

His eyes widened, "Sen-" He was cut off when Ebisu followed his line of sight and charged, shouting about how shameful acts would not be committed in his presence. Minato sighed inwardly at both men, Jiraiya turning away from his peeping and summoning a frog. The frog's tongue wrapped around Ebisu and threw him, the Tokubetsu Jounin losing consciousness from colliding with the pavement.

"Geez, what's going to happen if you get me caught?" the white haired Sannin scratched his head from atop the orange toad. Minato left the water's surface for dry land and walked over to Ebisu and, finding the man unconscious, turned to his ex-sensei, who'd already went back to peeping.

"Researching again? I swear. You never change," Minato sighed, grabbing the man's collar and dragging him away from the women's side of the bath.

"Mi- No, wait. Who are you?" Jiraiya slapped the blond's hand away and stood up, brushing the dirt off of his person.

"Uzumaki Naruto. The man you just knocked out was supposed to be training me. I was wondering if you could take over, seeing as he's out of it right now," Minato requested, staring innocently up at his sensei.

'So this is your son, Minato. He doesn't look like much,' Jiraiya thought, saying, "No. And don't make too much noise or you'll scare the ladies off," Jiraiya went back to peeping. 'Kushina would've castrated him if she'd caught him like this,' Minato sighed at what he was about to do.

"Henge," Minato whispered and tapped the Sannin on the shoulder. Jiraiya was about to brush the blond off again when he felt a pair of particularly large assets press against his back. The white haired man whipped around and nearly fainted right then and there, seeing a blond lady hugging him from behind. Her damp blond hair snaked down her body, her full lips glossy and parted, water glistening sensually off her naked body as she rubbed her assets against the Sannin's back. "Please train me," the lady begged, her tone sultry and her voice husky. 'Kushina would do worse than castrate me if she saw me doing this,' Minato shuddered as blood started trickling out of the Sannin's nose and a bulge formed at the man's pants.

"Of course, but there's just one condition," Jiraiya turned around, his hands wriggling perversely.

"What is it?" Minato wound one leg around the Sannin's waist.

"You have to stay in that form whenever you're around me," Jiraiya finished, reaching back to get at Minato's 'breasts'.

Minato smacked the man's hand away and released the henge, muttering, "You're very lucky Kushina's not here right now." They changed location and ended up by a river.

"Okay, try walking on the water," Jiraiya instructed. Minato stepped onto the water and waited for Jiraiya's next instruction.

"Seems as though you already know. Come ashore and take your shirt off," Jiraiya leant back against a tree. Minato threw his jumpsuit on the ground and pulled his drenched shirt off, leaving him top naked.

"Now, channel your chakra," Jiraiya lazily opened an eye. 'He wants to see the seal?' Minato clasped his hands in a seal and concentrated, causing the seal to surface. Jiraiya squatted before him and inspected the seal, touching his stomach before looking up.

"Okay, you can put your shirt back on," Jiraiya stood back as Minato collected his abandoned apparel and pulled them on before Jiraiya exclaimed, "What's that?"

Minato looked up at his sensei, a puzzled expression on his face "What?"

"Let me see your hitai-ate," Jiraiya rushed, gripping the soggy cloth around the blond's neck. Minato grabbed his sensei's hand and yanked it away before backpedalling as his sensei made another grab for his hitai-ate, his fingers managing to knock the hitai-ate enough for it to come loose. The hitai-ate fell to the floor, Minato's hands flying into a hand seal, casting a genjutsu. "What are you hiding?" Jiraiya dispelled the genjutsu and grabbed the blond before he could run away again, only to find that the hitai-ate had been tied back on. The white haired man sighed, "It must be very important if you're trying so hard, but if you show me, I might be able to help you."

"That's okay. It's nothing important really. It's just a choker," Minato said. The best way to lie was to add some facts that were true in it.

"Why are you wearing a choker?" Jiraiya pressed.

"Concealed weapon?" Minato tried.

Jiraiya just sighed, "You know what? Forget it. Just sit down." Minato did as he was told and the two sat by the river, drenched in warm hues as the sun began to sink beyond the horizon.

"Do you know that you have two types of chakra?" Jiraiya asked casually.

"Yes. If I were to describe them in colour, I'd say mine usual chakra colour is blue and the other is red," Minato said.

Jiraiya nodded sagely before saying, "Okay. That's all for today's training. Why don't we go and take a dip in the hot springs rather than falling in. I'll teach you something nice tomorrow." The two got up and made their way to the hot springs. Jiraiya sent Minato home, the latter going onto the roof to think about the battles he'd seen that day. He heard a loud crash and leapt across the rooftops, towards the source. He stopped to pinpoint the location of the crash when two presences caught his attention. 'What's Hayate doing fighting the Suna Jounin instructor?' Minato got closer, noticing the hostile aura surrounding the two.

Hayate's sword bit into Baki's shoulder, Hayate trying to free the sword, his eyes widening when it wouldn't budge. Baki praised his swordsmanship, Hayate too shocked to register the words that escaped his opponent's lips. The Suna-nin cocked back his hand, making a hand seal, before a gust of wind appeared, tearing into Hayate. Baki smirked, only for it to be wiped off his face as Hayate poofed out of existence. The Suna-nin glanced around, concentrating on locating the man and growling when his search came up empty. 'Damn! I should have let Kabuto-san deal with him after all. Now Konoha will know about the invasion. No! I won't allow that,' Baki left to look for Hayate, intent on eliminating him.

Meanwhile, Minato was leaping across the rooftops as fast as he could with an unconscious Hayate slung over his shoulder. Anyone observing would just see a streak of black as he sped towards the Hokage Tower. Minato entered through the window and unceremoniously dropped the Jounin on the floor. The latter groaned, getting the attention of the Hokage as he turned to face the source, finding Hayate in a heap on the floor.

"Hayate? What is it?" the Sandaime asked, taking a drag from his pipe.

"I don't know. I was fighting the Suna team's Jounin sensei. He was going to attack me and… yellow…" Hayate trailed off, trying to remember. "That doesn't matter! Suna and Oto are joining forces! They plan to invade Konoha!" Hayate conveyed.

The Sandaime nodded knowingly before saying, "Thank you Hayate-san. You're dismissed." Hayate bowed and left through the window, leaping across the rooftops and away from the Tower.

The next day found Minato and Jiraiya by a waterfall. "Okay. First, I need you to use up all your normal chakra," Jiraiya instructed after finding that Minato couldn't channel the Kyuubi's chakra. Jiraiya went back to peeping and Minato left for the forest, only for Jiraiya to turn around and shout, "Where are you going?"

"You told me to expend all of my chakra right? I'm going to do just that," Minato shouted back. Jiraiya stared at the blond before waving him off and returning to his 'research', leaving Minato to trudge into the forest. As soon as he was sure that Jiraiya couldn't detect him, he tossed a tri-pronged kunai at the trees surrounding the clearing. As soon as he unleashed the last kunai, he began, flashing to the kunai embedded in the tree, going in a clockwise direction, ripping the kunai out of the bark as he flashed to it, making a grab for the last one, only to have it find a home in the tree before he could get to it.

"Damn it!" Minato ground out, releasing the kunai again and going through the routine a few more times before falling to his knees in exhaustion. Minato kept the tri-pronged kunai before staggering out of the forest, towards the waterfall. He was greeted to the sight of Jiraiya squatting by the bushes, giggling perversely. Minato sighed and tapped the man's shoulder. The white haired man whipped around, grinning at the blond's battered appearance. Minato collapsed on the ground, panting doggedly, sweat coating him like a second skin. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Jiraiya shouted, a large red toad appearing in a plume of smoke. "Just sign your name on the scroll and imprint your fingers below that. In blood," Jiraiya instructed. Minato nodded, staring at the scroll which lay open at his feet. He glanced at the last name and thought, 'Would it have worked if I'd tried summoning before now? Technically I _have_ signed the contract…'

Minato just shrugged the thought off and bit his thumb before using it to write his name on the scroll. He then spread the blood across his other four fingers and pressed the bloody appendages onto the scroll just below his name. Jiraiya told him the hand seals and the young blond began to flash through the hand seals before slamming his hand onto the ground. A seal array spread from where his hand made contact with the ground and en explosion of smoke went up before dissipating, revealing a tadpole. "Maybe it'd be better if I meditate," Minato pulled his legs in, ending up cross legged. He closed his eyes and focused, ignoring his sensei and the perverted giggles.

His eyes shot open and he found himself in a sewer. The blond looked down at himself and gasped. He was in his original body. 'Maybe it's because I'm in my mindscape. My body is not entirely mine, but in my mind, I'm in my original form,' Minato concluded. He strode down the hall, hearing nothing but the dripping of water from the pipes. A flash of yellow assaulted his vision as a thirteen year old blond crashed into him. "What?" was all Minato could splutter as the blond straddled his chest, staring innocently down at him. "Naruto?" Minato chanced.

"I don't have a name. According to your memories, you're Naruto, not me," the blond said.

Minato ignored the boy and pulled the young blond into a hug, tears trailing down his cheeks as he sobbed into the boy's hair, choking out, "I'm sorry," over and over again. He held the boy gently, but close to his chest, as if the boy would shatter like glass, or if he let go for even a second the boy would slip from his grasp like sand between his fingers. The younger one of the two, having never felt the touch of another human, started. He soon wrapped his arms around the Minato, enjoying the feeling of warmth engulfing his person.

"How did you end up here?" Minato questioned, tears tracks staining his face.

"I've always been here. You're the first one I've seen who looks like me. The only one in here other than you is this monster, so I always stay away from there," Naruto said, dizzy from the hug. Minato opened his mouth but before he could say anything, a growl resonated through the mindscape, causing the young blond to shake in fright before running away into one of the many rooms.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto. I'll find a way to get you out. I promise," Minato vowed to the empty corridor before running towards the source of the animalistic sound from before. He emerged in a large chamber with iron bars before him, going from floor to ceiling, a piece of paper with the kanji for 'seal' inscribed on it tagged to where the two gates met.

**"You! I thought you died! Remove the damn seal so I can rip you to pieces!"** Kyuubi growled through the bars.

Well, I was going to ask for chakra, but it seems I can't," Minato grinned, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

**"Damn you! I'd sooner throw you into the ninth circle of hell than lend you chakra!"** Kyuubi began slamming its body against the bars, trying to force its way out.

"Well, how about a trade. It must be very uncomfortable being cooped up in a sewer, so I'll trade modifying my mindscape in exchange for chakra as rent," Minato tried.

**"As if you could bribe me with that you hairless monkey. Now remove the seal and let me tear you limb from limb!"** Kyuubi snarled.

"That's fine. I'll be going now," Minato turned to leave, his mindscape warping into a torture chamber, an array of torture devices lining the chamber, blood dripping from them, the cage turning into a large iron maiden with nine extensions trailing behind it. "Enjoy spending the next few years with spikes in your body, unable to move, in the sweltering heat," Minato raised a hand and waved, all the while walking away with his back to the fox. He could hear Kyuubi snarling and growling colourful curses.

**"Damn you Yondaime!"** echoed through the mindscape. Minato's eyes opened in the real world, the blond stared at his hand and sighed, trying again, feeling some of his chakra returning.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Minato slammed his hand onto the ground.

The smoke cleared, revealing a small orange toad. Minato stared until it said, "Yo! My name's Gamakichi! Do you have any sweets?"

"Sensei, who's this? He's asking for sweets," Minato picked the toad up and shoved him in his sensei's face.

"So you managed to summon Gamakichi. Well, that's not too bad, but it's still not good enough," Jiraiya commented, scratching his chin. Gamakichi tapped Minato's leg.

"Sorry," Minato apologised, producing a lollipop from his kunai pouch. He'd bought it on impulse, having not eaten a lollipop in years and now he was giving it to the little toad.

"Thanks! I see you're new, so you'd want to summon my dad right?" Gamakichi sucked happily on the lollipop.

"Well, kinda. Anyway, you can go if you want to," Minato said.

"I want to see you train," Gamakichi hopped onto a rock and stayed there. Minato sighed and executed the move again, only for a tadpole to appear. Gamakichi blinked owlishly before exploding with laughter, rolling along the ground with tears in his eyes. The next week saw them at the exact same spot, doing the exact same things, Minato going in his mindscape each day to see the Kyuubi, and, most importantly, his son. He told his son about the things in the world and told the young blond about all the memories he'd witnessed.

On the seventh day of training, however, the Kyuubi had stopped Minato and growled out, **"I'll lend some chakra to you, but don't expect it to be a frequent occurrence. And if I ever get out, I will have the pleasure of killing you slowly and destroying your precious village while you watch helplessly, before tearing you limb from limb and ripping you to pieces. Then I'll eat you," **Kyuubi snarled.

Red leaked out of the cage and surrounded Minato, the latter asking, "Well, how do you want this place to be?"

**"A forest with prey,"** Kyuubi stated simply. The torture chamber disappeared and was replaced by a large forest, the trees towering above them all. The tops of the trees were lost from view as birds broke out in a chorus and many different animal cries mingled with each other, a cooling breeze blowing through the forest. The cage was gone, replaced with a collar around the giant fox's neck.

**"Yondaime!"** Kyuubi charged at the blond, claw extended, before its whole body froze.

"Just because you're free from the cage doesn't mean the seal isn't there, but at least now you can stretch your legs and hunt prey," Minato looked up at the claw positioned just above his head.

Minato left his mindscape and tried again, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" his eyes widening as he felt power rush through his being, shuddering at the taint and malicious feeling in the chakra. A large smoke cloud engulfed him before parting to reveal him standing on the head of a giant red toad. 'Gamabunta!' Minato thought as he saw the girls by the waterfall shriek and run away, kicking water up in their wake.

**"Jiraiya? Why did you summon me?"** the toad demanded. "I don't believe it. He actually summoned the boss after a week.

This is bad," Jiraiya muttered, moving behind a tree to hide as the toad towered above him. Minato channelled chakra to his feet to stay on Gamabunta's back as the toad began to look around for the white haired Sannin. The toad's eyes then gravitated towards the top of its head, or tried to.

**"Minato? I thought you were dead,"** the toad squinted up at the blond.

"He _is_ dead," Minato said from the top of Gamabunta's head.

**"Then who are you?"** Gamabunta asked, hostility edging into his tone.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Minato answered.

**"Where's Jiraiya?"** Gamabunta demanded.

"He's either peeping on women, running from women, or hiding from women," Minato said and added as an afterthought, "or from you."

**"Jiraiya! Why did you summon me! Come out and tell me or I'll crush you!"** Gamabunta roared.

"Gamabunta… san? I'm the one who summoned you," Minato braced himself for an outburst.

Booming laughter saturated the air as soon as the words sank in, **"You? Summon me? I haven't breathed the air of this world in so long and when I do, a blond gaki claims he summoned me,"** Gamabunta boomed.

"It wouldn't be the first time now would it?" Minato said, sensing Jiraiya inching away.

**"You really aren't Minato?"** Gamabunta asked, his tongue wrapping around the blond and holding him before his face.

Minato shook his head saying, "If you're still looking for sensei, he's over there," Minato pointed out the Sannin's location. Gamabunta turned in the direction Minato had pointed in and spotted Jiraiya tiptoeing away.

"Yo," Jiraiya said, raising a hand in greeting, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

**A/N: I'm cutting it here. Sorry. I just… never mind. Anyway, about the Kyuubi and torture thing, imagine not being able to move, trapped in an oven with spikes going through your body, and you can't die. Try it sometime.** I** think you'd crack too. Better to cut your losses rather than knowing you have to endure all that for years. Please review and correct my mistakes. Review or PM me if there's something bugging you. Thank you. I will rewrite the chapter if a major flaw is spotted and pointed out. **

**Mini poll:**

**1) Hayate lives**

**2)Hayate dies**

**Please put the number of your choice in your review if you choose to reply to the poll. For those who are thinking, 'Minato already saved Hayate, why would he die?' Well, Baki was still searching for him. He doesn't know that Hayate already got the info to the Hokage so if he sees Hayate, he will kill him. **


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: I'm really freaking out rite now. Anyways, here's the next chapter. ARGH! Stressed!**

_Chapter 20: Month_

"So you're moving out tomorrow?" Minato inquired, collapsing on the couch.

"Yeah, but what happened?" Haku asked, taking in the blond's haggard appearance.

"Gamabunta happened. He says he'll consider making me his subordinate. I had to stay on his back until sundown, which I did. I almost forgot about Gamabunta's temper and somehow, after all that, sensei ended up drunk again and I had to haul him away before he fell off a cliff," Minato sighed, kicking off his shoes.

"Sounds like you have a very interesting sensei, but who's Gamabunta," Haku giggled lightly.

"Gamabunta's the boss summon of the toads, and sometimes, I think my sensei's a little _too_ interesting. The funny thing is, I wouldn't trade him for anyone else in the world," Minato replied, heaving himself off the sofa and staggering towards the bedroom.

"Good night, Haku," Minato called lazily before entering his room.

Haku smiled placidly and returned with a, "Good night, Naruto." Minato was asleep seconds after his head touched the pillow. Night flew past and Minato found himself meeting his sensei by the river again.

"What are you going to teach me today sensei?" Minato inquired.

"Tell me. What do you know about seals?" Jiraiya asked a question of his own.

"You can't expect me to defeat Neji with seals," Minato argued.

"I know. I'm just asking," Jiraiya said benignly.

"They're... squiggly lines?" Minato feigned confusion.

"Don't play with me Minato," Jiraiya shouted, his tone harsh.

"You didn't think I was that stupid did you?" Jiraiya said, noticing the blond's shocked expression.

"How did you find out, sensei?" Minato asked, schooling his expression.

"Hi. Mi. Tsu!" Jiraiya teased, wagging his index finger with each syllable. Minato shot the white haired man a murderous look.

"Relax. I already had my suspicions since in the hot spring. The thing beneath your headband made me even more suspicious. You just confirmed it," Jiraiya grinned.

"So how did you end up like this anyway?" Jiraiya sat down cross legged beside his blond student. "On the night of the attack. I messed up and now Naru-chan's trapped with Kyuubi. And now I have the Chunin Exams to worry about," Minato sighed heavily.

"Why don't you just take back your position?" the Sannin asked, puzzled.

"Looking like this? That's just not possible. Besides, I can't just turn up after twelve years and lead the village," Minato reasoned.

"True. So, what are you gonna do? Against Neji I mean," Jiraiya asked.

"Well, he's a Hyuuga, and from what I've heard, he's a genius. Hyuugas have one blind spot, but it's so miniscule I might as well forget about it. I'd have to attack long range, and I'd have to be out of his range of sight, which would be near impossible in the arena. I could wear him out by forcing him to use all of his chakra, but I can't take any hits or it's over, and for that, I'd still have to attack long range or use speed and execute short range attacks like taijutsu. I could also use speed and beat him into unconsciousness, how I'm going to do that is the same as for wearing him out. I'd take my chances with wearing him out," Minato planned.

"Why not just knock him out? You're fast enough," Jiraiya turned to his blond student.

"I don't want anyone knowing who I am. The only one who knows besides the two of us is Iruka-sensei," Minato stared at the fishes swimming serenely in the stream.

"What does being fast have anything to do with that? Many others are just as fast, and you said it yourself that you're not as fast as you used to be."

"Wouldn't you freak if a twelve year old Gennin was faster than you?"

"I'll leave all that to you. All this thinking is giving me a headache."

"Fine, but why weren't you here during the first twelve years? You were supposed to be Naruto's godfather weren't you?"

"I had to keep up the spy network. Besides, I did visit occasionally and helped with some financial stuff."

"So, the envelopes of money that turn up on my table are from you?"

"Yeah." "I thought those were from Sarutobi."

"Nope. So, what are we going to do about your training? I'm sure you've trained yourself before now and are no doubt better than most Gennin."

"Well yes, but for now, I'm still a Gennin nonetheless. Fancy taking me as your apprentice again?"

"Sure, why not?" Jiraiya got up, as did Minato, and the two took a stance, mirroring each other. A leaf fluttered to the ground, the two rushing at each other the moment it touched the floor.

"You've de-proved, Minato!" Jiraiya teased, blocking a strike.

"Well, that's to be expected," the blond shot back, aiming a kick, twisting his body around to add more force to the kick.

"Shift your weight to the left a bit more," Jiraiya criticised, dodging the kick. The two kept going at it until the sun disappeared on the horizon. The two sat by the river, panting doggedly, Jiraiya turning to his blond student saying, "That was fun. I haven't had a good taijutsu fight in a while."

"Well, Haku's moving out tomorrow, so I'd better go home and help her. I'll meet you here again tomorrow?" Minato propped himself up on his elbows and stood up. Jiraiya just nodded as Minato disappeared. Haku moved out the next day, but it wasn't all that bad, because the two were still living in the same building. Minato found out from Sakura that Sasuke had disappeared from the hospital, most likely Kakashi whisking him off to train him.

"Sensei, there's something I'd like to try. I've been working on it for the past few years and I'm trying to work out the bugs. It might not help me win against Neji, but I'd like to try it out anyway," Minato said.

"Taijutsu?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. Minato nodded, Jiraiya beckoning the blond with his hand. The wind started to pick up around Minato, before whipping around wildly as lightning joined in, sparking amidst the gusts of wind, rearing and plunging. The wind lashed fiercely around the blond, tearing into the barks of the trees as they whipped past, leaving large gash marks and burns. Jiraiya squinted and braced himself, shielding his face with his arms. The orange jumpsuit he was wearing was shredded mercilessly, revealing the black, sleeveless training clothes beneath as the attack condensed around the blond's arms and legs.

Minato charged at Jiraiya shouting, "Dodge!" Jiraiya fell to the side, Minato's fist missing Jiraiya and embedding itself in a tree. The wind died down and the lightning dissipated as the technique ended, leaving Minato panting, his fist still buried in the tree's trunk. Jiraiya got up from his position on the floor to inspect the damage done, finding that his entire right side was numb and peppered with miniscule cuts despite Minato having passed by him.

"Damn," Jiraiya whistled in appreciation. The tree was covered in deep gashes, the worst being where Minato's fist was, a deep, uneven hole from where his fist connected with the tree. The interior of the hole was charred black, the wood splintering around the blond's fist.

"Seems like I can't use that too often. I haven't perfected it yet," Minato choked out before pulling his fist out and falling to his knees. That was when Jiraiya noticed the cuts and burns littered around the blond's body, the worst covering his arms.

"I think you had better lay off it until you perfect it because it seems like it hurts you as well," Jiraiya noted. Minato nodded numbly, leaning against the decimated tree trunk. "What was that anyway? It looked a bit like your Rasengan," Jiraiya asked, inspecting the hole.

"It's not. I intended for it to be used in accompaniment with taijutsu. I'm trying to coat my arms and legs in lightning mixed with wind chakra. During taijutsu, you have no choice but to come into contact with your opponent's arms and legs, so…" Minato trailed off.

Jiraiya nodded in understanding, rubbing his right arm to get some feeling back into it, "Why don't we call it a day? I think you used too much chakra during that attack." Minato just nodded, staggering to his feet. Minato managed to drag his fatigued body back to his apartment and flopped onto the bed, not bothering to change his clothes before drifting into the sweet embrace of sleep. Minato was completely healed the next day, 'Probably because of the fox.'

The days flew by until there were only a few days left to the finals. Jiraiya had given the blond the day off so he decided to wander around the village. 'Maybe I should go visit Lee in the hospital,' Minato thought, heading towards the hospital. He strolled down the corridors and scrunched his nose slightly as the smell of disinfectant impinged his nose. The blond slid open the door and was greeted to the sight of Haku tending to Lee. "Hi Haku, Lee," Minato greeted, placing the flowers he'd bought along the way in the vase beside the bed.

"Naruto? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be training for the fight against Neji?" Lee asked.

"Sakura told you?" Minato asked, and, receiving a nod, said, "Well, my sensei let me have a day off today, so I decided to visit," Minato answered. Lee looked down at his arm-the one that was in a sling . "I'm sure you'll recover," Minato said reassuringly, feeling a twinge of guilt when Lee smiled at Minato. It was a smile filled with hope, and Minato didn't want to see it fade.

"Well, I'm done. I want to stay and chat, but the head nurse asked me to tend to the patient in ward 302. If you need me, just buzz for me," Haku smiled serenely as she exited the room.

"You can go you know," Lee said, hearing Minato's stomach growl.

"Alright, but don't do anything colossally stupid," Minato warned.

"Don't worry. I won't," Lee promised, Minato sighing as he left the ward. The blond found himself outside Yakiniku Q and screeched to a halt, spotting Team 10, with the exception of Ino, inside. He was about to call out to them from the window when he decided against it. Shikamaru could have been taking a break from training. He found himself in front of Ichiraku's, but he wasn't the only one.

"Hinata!" Minato called out, the owner of the name jumping in surprise before turning to the blond greeting him. "Were you going to go in too?" Minato asked, oblivious to the blush dusting the Hyuuga's cheeks as she nodded. "Then we'll eat together. My treat!" Minato pulled Hinata into the stand before the latter had the chance to protest. Minato tried numerous times to strike up a conversation with Hinata, but gave up when she kept turning away and blushing. The meal ended with Naruto dragging Hinata away from the stand after paying, and bringing her to the training grounds, where Minato tried getting the girl to talk, again. After that had failed, he brought her to the top of the Hokage Monument, where the view of the sunset was best. "Hinata, why does Neji hate you?" Minato asked.

"H-he ha-hates m-me because… Wh-when I w-was th-three, a Ku-kumo nin tr-tried to k-kidn-nap m-me. M-my f-father k-killed th-the man t-to sa-save me. Th-they c-couldn't pr-prove th-that th-the m-man wasn't a-acting on h-his o-own, s-so, Kumo d-demanded th-that m-my f-father b-be k-killed. I-if n-not, th-they'd d-declare w-war. N-Neji's f-father t-took my f-father's p-place a-and was k-killed i-instead. Th-they s-sent N-Neji's f-father's b-body to Kumo to k-keep th-the p-peace," Hinata answered.

"I see. I can understand why, especially since he's from the branch family, but that doesn't justify the hatred he has for you. He nearly killed you during the preliminaries. I know life's been hard on him, but I wonder why he blames you. You were only three at the time. You couldn't have done anything," Minato said.

"H-he h-has his r-reasons. H-he h-has th-the r-right t-to b-be an-angry. I sh-should b-be g-going h-home s-soon. I-It's g-getting l-late," Hinata stuttered, looking at the rapidly darkening sky.

"I'll walk you home. I've always wanted to see how the Hyuuga estate looks like," Minato offered. Hinata nodded, not trusting her voice. The two left the Hokage monument and trekked back through the trees towards the Hyuuga estate. The two rounded around the estate when two presences made themselves known to Minato. Two men burst into the forest, the taller one swinging a sack over his shoulder.

A muffled scream came from inside the bag, Hinata's eyes widening and whispering, "Hanabi."

"Your sister?" Minato whispered, Hinata nodding in response. 'They're probably using the Chunin exams as a cover to get the Byakugan. I remember one of them from outside the Forest of Death when Anko was explaining the rules for the Second Exam,' Minato thought.

"Wh-what are w-we g-going t-to d-do?" Hinata rushed, flustered.

"I'll go get her; you stay here and cover your eyes. Don't look, regardless of what you hear, okay?" Minato whispered to Hinata. Hinata nodded and raised her hands to cover her eyes when Minato stopped her, "But before that, could you activate your Byakugan and see what the insignia on their hitai-ate are?"

Hinata nodded again and activated her Byakugan before saying, "Th-they're f-from Ame, b-but th-they're N-nuke nin," Hinata informed the blond.

"Thanks," Minato got up as Hinata covered her eyes. The blond charged at the two, unsealing his tanto before bringing it down on the first one. The whipped out a kunai and blocked the attack, having sensed it. Minato jumped away, avoiding a slash of the kunai from the Ame-nin. 'This would be a good chance to test the efficiency of _that_ on a human,' Minato thought as the wind started picking up around him.

"Look, Ryuuji, it's just a Gennin. I'll take care of him. You go on ahead," the shorter one of the two said.

"Fine, but you'd better not get your ass kicked by that brat, Hakuo," Ryuuji teased, leaping away with the sack still slung over his back.

"Looks like you know a trick or two. But that's not good enough," Hakuo jeered as his hands flashed through hand signs, watching as lightning started to dance around Minato's form. Minato didn't respond to the jibe, sweat beading his forehead as the wind and lightning died down, concentrating around the blond's arms and legs. The jumpsuit he was wearing was ripped once again, along with the rest of the orange apparel, revealing the black garb beneath. "Suiton: Suiryuudan no jutsu!" Hakuo shouted, a giant water dragon bursting from behind the wall around the Hyuuga estate. Apparently, there was a pond situated behind the wall, and a rather large on at that. Minato dodged the liquid dragon, but the attack just twisted around, still gunning for him. The blond blurred out of existence and reappeared before Hakuo, kicking the Ame-nin in the side.

Hakuo let out a bloodcurdling scream as he felt his flesh being sliced up and cauterised again and again for what seemed like eternity. When Minato jumped away to inspect the damage, he wasn't too surprised with the effects as the water dragon broke apart. The man's side had been brutally ripped and charred, like the tree, secondary cuts and burns framing the primary hit point where he'd kicked the man. Hakuo tried desperately to move, his whole body numb. "Wh-what are you?" Hakuo managed to cough out.

"Busy," Minato answered simply before running off to find the one known as 'Ryuuji', the wind and lightning giving him an unexpected boost. Minato found the man not far away and planted a fist in the man's gut, digging it into the man's stomach before leaping away and cancelling the technique, falling on his butt in the foliage. A young girl with long brown hair and milky white eyes emerged from the sack, looking bedraggled, like she'd been plucked from her bed while she was sleeping. "Hi," Minato greeted, not knowing what else to do. Hanabi scrambled to her feet and took up an offensive stance, her arms trembling. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help," Minato put his hands up in front of him to placate the young Hyuuga.

"Who are you?" Hanabi demanded.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Minato replied, watching with amusement as Hanabi's eyes widened.

"You're the one Onee-san…" Hanabi smirked before relaxing.

Minato cocked his head, puzzled.

"Hinata's this way," Minato lead Hanabi towards the place he'd left Hinata at, sealing the man's body into a scroll prior. Minato found the man known as 'Hakuo' trying to move and promptly knocked the man out, dragging the limp body along with him towards Hinata.

"Onee-san," Hanabi greeted, drawing a gasp from Hinata. The latter removed her hands from her eyes, doing a double take when she saw Hanabi and her crush leaning over her.

"H-Hanabi… H-How d-did y-you s-save h-her s-so f-fast?" Hinata breathed.

"I was lucky I guess," Minato grinned, sheepishly scratching behind his head.

"Hanabi-sama, Hinata-sama!" a Hyuuga from the branch family had spotted them and was running towards them. "You suddenly disappeared from bed. Hiashi-sama will be furious when he finds out that you two were taking a night-time stroll. Remember what happened last time?" the branch member babbled, grabbing the two girls by their arms. "Excuse me," the branch member bowed to Minato and proceeded to drag the two young Hyuugas towards the entrance of the compound.

"Good night, Hinata, Hanabi!" Minato waved, watching as the three disappeared. Minato sealed Hakuo into another scroll and headed back to his apartment, relaying the information and bodies to Jiraiya to see if he knew anything about it. The remaining days passed fleetingly, and soon, Minato found himself standing in the arena alongside the other 6 candidates, gazing up at the thousands of people in the stands.

"Everyone besides Hyuuga Neji and Uzumaki Naruto are to leave the arena," Aoba, the proctor, announced. Hayate could not be found and so, they had had to find a replacement.

"Mendokuse," Shikamaru grumbled as they made their way into the stands, the absence of Dosu and Sasuke not going unnoticed. Soon, the only ones left on the field were Neji, Minato and Aoba.

The Third Exam had began.

**A/N: Well, if something irks you, feel free to say so. I hit a wall. a really large wall, so I started another, weirder wall was so large I just decided to do this. Filler. If you have any questions, I will answer them, and updates will not be coming so frequently anymore because school is going to start soon. Also, I will rewrite the chapter if you find some really major flaws in it. Well, I think that's all. Please review. Thank you. Oh yeah. I need a name for the technique, so if you happen to come up with one, please tell me via review. I look forward to reading about what you think it should be called. Thank You. **


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Actually, this is just a notice. It might not be super important and if you are currently in a life-or-death situation, please, feel free to steer away from this page. In all honesty, I really want to continue this story, but I'm very easily swayed by other peoples' comments. You might be thinking, 'Then what are you doing writing Fanfiction? Writing fanfiction is not for the faint of heart!'. Well, honestly, I don't even know why myself. The name 'Minato' just popped into my head on its own. Don't ask me why. I was just reading Percy Jackson, and saw the word 'Minotaur' and read that Annabeth was 'Blond' and it just popped up. It's like those times when I stare at a tool and I instantly know it's a spanner even though I cannot recall ever seeing, hearing or reading that word. I sound like an old windbag… Basically, I didn't know what a 'Minato' was, the 'a' is not misplaced, and I went to check online. He looked a lot like Naruto so… Yeah, and I only found out he was actually Naruto's dad because my sister got me hooked on Naruto. She's an otaku. The only reason I created an account on Fanfiction in the first place was to PM my friend and to read peoples' awesome stories, but I guess I might have been in over my head when I decided I would try writing. Ehehe… ;p Well, Now that my rant is over, I want to say something that might be redundant to you if your name is not in bold. You can start reading after the line break. If this concerns you, please read it, or you can just ignore it altogether. I don't mind.

**charan**: I LOVE YOU! Not in that literal of a sense, but yeah. That might be the nicest thing someone has said about my story. Emphasis on might, because what I think is that you have faith in my story. I could cry from happiness. I'm a girl after all, so I have permission to cry. And everyone else who liked my story, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

**Nerdyfresh**: Thank you for the information. It's valuable to me. I shall try to make good use of it, but for this story, do you think it might be too late? Also, do you think that the Yondaime, who would sacrifice himself, his son, his wife, everything he had and more, to protect his beloved village, would do that to a loyal Chunin of the village. Sealing memories should be a last resort, don't you think? But yes, you have a point. I shall bow to you, in spirit.

**StPheonix**: Firstly, right now I'm wondering if you have ever written a Fanfic before. I'm sure you'll understand the… complexity of everything. I have a newfound respect for authors like J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan and others. They're bold and take risks, they're plots are great and etc. It's like a balancing act. Try writing one of your own. I think you'll understand. Or maybe you already do? Just saying. I agree with you that my plot is kind of piggyback. But like I asked, is it too late? Or do you think I can still save it? Thank you for the idea, but it has already been used. Well, what I think is that all people have their bad days. I can set an alarm clock and not wake up at all, but that's just me. Well, they do say that geniuses are the most scatter-brained… I'm just making excuses. I suppose it'd be better if Minato were completely perfect then? He's human, not a robot. You have to take that into account. He doesn't work on clockwork. It's like my teachers. We make noise and they shout at us. We keep quiet and they're still unhappy. We are human. To be human, is to err. Perhaps he's erring too much, but that's besides the point, or maybe it is exactly the point. And you'd think he'd try to protect the village even after that. He is, after all, fiercely loyal. And to kill off every single villager that does him wrong will leave you with a ghost town. Also, they need the manpower. And that line after criticising… you're calling Naruto a little bitch? Sorry, that wasn't meant to be offensive. I'm also meaning to ask, are you a 'Sakura hater'? She's really not that bad. If you look at it from her point of view, you'll see something different. If I put my hand in front of your face, palm facing you, what would you see? You'd see flesh, lines tinges of pink, but I'd see nails and a bit of a tan. It's all a matter of perspective. We might make them out to be evil, but to Orochimaru, Naruto is just as infuriating as he is to Naruto when he is trying to retrieve Sasuke. Sorry, I'm rambling. Is Sakura really that bad, or is that being biased? In fanfictions, you can make them nicer or more cruel. Heck, I even read a story where Minato was an evil jerk who manipulates people and doesn't care for jack shit if Naruto dies or not. Super, awesome, godlike, infinite powers? He's not infallible. He and Tobi were quite evenly matched. Maybe the scales were tilted a little to Minato's favour, but that doesn't mean no one can surpass him. Yes, he is hiding, I suppose. But when you truly have a secret like that, you don't exactly run to the top of the Hokage Monument and shout it out loud. That's exaggerating. Sorry. Maybe he should be more open about it…? But your comment has set me thinking about what my story is really supposed to be and for that, I thank you.

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><p>For everyone else who has had the patience to last this long, I have but one question. Do you want me to continue this? I have no idea how it will end up, but I'll try my best not to disappoint. But if you're really against this story, go straight into the criticising. 'No way! Your story sucks! Just chop off your hand and stop writing! (Although like this it would be very hard to sit for my exam tomorrow…) Your plot stinks to the high heavens and there are so many holes in them, It could just be one massive hole and no one would notice!' something like that. Or if you like it, maybe something like, 'Yeah, just continue writing. I don't mind.' After a really long break and thinking after receiving charan's comment, I've decided to at least do the Suna Invasion part. But seeing as I have a Chem and Phys test tomorrow, now wouldn't be the appropriate time to do it. If I receive more 'Yes' than 'No' in continuing the story, I guess I might continue this, but after being inactive for so long, I guess it's just been buried. Hahaha… XD Criticise to your heart's content. I'll just sit down on the sofa with a bar of chocolate, read, and take note of it for future reference, and probably laugh a bit, thinking, 'Really? I really wrote that? I have to work on that.' Other than that, enjoy the rest of your day. Something random. Putting vanilla essence in yoghurt and then eating it is not a good idea. Vanilla essence tastes bitter on its own.<p>

~English-illiterate


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: I'm so sorry; I had a lot of school work and was too lazy to get off my ass and type. I feel like an old lady right now… Well, I haven't been writing at all this past year so this might not be up to scratch… when has anything I've ever written ever been up to scratch? *emo sigh***

**(Warning: If you just want to skip to the story, please ignore our weird ramblings. Advance to the line and collect $200(?) Thank you… *cries*)**

**etErnal: STOP GROWING MUSHROOMS!**

**English-illiterate: Yah… That was my friend… etErnalroSe09 please check out her stories and review if you like D. Gray-Man too. She's a much better author than me… Ok, I shall stop growing mushrooms and start growing potatoes! :}**

**etErnal: yes, review if you value your manhood/ovaries intact *unsheathes Masamune/Mugen/any random katana***

**English-Illiterate: That's mean, Seph… Really mean. I'm gonna tell Zack… *cries* Oh, Zack's screen name is Nadiamirah. Please give her stories a look too. Why am I doing this in the first place? Seph I hate you! And stop making cat noises!**

**etErnal: I WAS NOT MAKING CAT NOISES! NOW START THE GODDAMN STORY!**

**Dant3- If you feel offended about me using your insight in your comment, as I might be using it in a later chapter, please, tell me. I'm really sorry… But you're absolutely right and it's inconceivable that Minato would hide something like that from Kakashi… And the Hokage... *cries again***

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><p>Chapter 21: Fate<p>

'Naruto' stared Neji down, his eyes darting towards his surroundings while making sure to keep the Hyuuga in his periphery. His body was crouched in a combat ready position and hundreds of battle plans ran through his head. He shook them away. He had to start clean, since those plans were made for fights pitting one against many, and relied heavily on speed. Speed he refused to display. Speed he did not yet have.

He barely registered when Neji opened his mouth to proclaim, "The fates have decreed me to be the winner." 'Naruto' remained silent, acknowledging the words vaguely and inwardly running through a battle plan that he had drawn up. Neji activated his Byakugan and glared indignantly at the seemingly mediocre ninja before him. That is, until his eyes met the blond's.

Neji flinched inwardly. There was something wrong with those eyes. Those eyes that had been brimming with warmth every time he'd seen them were now like a pond in the dead of winter. Frozen and devoid of emotion. Sapphire windows to the boy's soul were now closed off to the world and all that was left was a hardened assassin. Neji shook himself inwardly. That was just the impression the idiot wanted to give off. If he fell for the act and lost confidence, the battle was as good as lost. He had to focus. Pushing aside his doubts, the Hyuuga tensed his muscles and waited for the blond to take the first move.

To Neji's surprise, 'Naruto' began rapidly forming handseals. His Byakugan eyes caught everything; the chakra being gathered, molded, and eventually released as lethal blades of wind, slicing through the air and scarring the ground where Neji once stood. The brunet had jumped backwards, out of the way. A single drop of sweat slid down his back. He hadn't expected this. Brawlers like the blond before him usually started out with a direct, reckless charge. He smirked confidently. No matter. This unexpected start would not change anything. He would still win. After all, he was the more experienced one. This inexperienced average ninja might pose a minute challenge but nothing more.

'Naruto' remained impassive as he watched for tells in the Hyuuga that would give away his next actions, dodging as the boy sprang at him and lashed out with his palms. He whipped out two kunai and dug them firmly into the ground, before kicking his legs around and yanking the kunai back out as he flipped away from an oncoming assault of jabs. He weaved around the attacks as if they were child's play, angering the Hyuuga.

Neji finally ceased his assault on the blond and fell back, his Byakugan blazing eerily as 'Naruto' stood alone and completely exposed in the centre of the arena. The blond brought his hands up into a series of quick handseals and a jet of flames burst from his mouth, chasing after the Hyuuga and lapping futilely at his feet as he flipped swiftly away and out of reach.

Neji stared. 'Naruto' was using ninjutsu more than he was taijutsu. It aggravated him to think that he could counter the Hyuuga's Jyuken with a measly repertoire of low grade ninjutsu. His eyes flicked to the small body of water concealed in the trees on the battle field as he saw chakra building around the area and when his eyes gyrated back to the blond, there twere two perfectly formed orbs of water in each palm, the clear liquid swirling restlessly in its spherical prison.

Water erupted around the blond as 'Naruto' threw the orbs at his feet, concealing him. A malicious smirk tugged at Neji's lips as he turned around and struck at seemingly thin air. Minato shimmered into existence as the Genjutsu shattered and clutched his throbbing limb, attempting to ignore the pain blossoming relentlessly. His left leg then buckled tiredly underneath him, and he looked up, apprehensive fear sparking in his eyes. Neji's eyes flickered to the shadows of the trees. There seemed to be a kage bunshin there. It was too bad that it would not be able to do anything.

'Naruto' forced himself up on his elbows, and rolled out of the way, letting an involuntary gasp of pain escape his lips as he landed on his incapacitated leg. A lightning fast Jyuken jab hit the ground a second later with enough force to crack it, a clean split marring the earth.

Taking advantage of the blond's momentary lapse, Neji followed up with another strike, flesh impacting flesh as he debilitated 'Naruto's' remaining leg. Cursing under his breath, the blue eyed ninja looked up to see Neji, his hand reared back and poised to deliver the finishing blow. "Fate is not on you side, Naruto," Neji sneered, smirking sadistically and bringing his hand down.

'Naruto's' eyes widened in horror as it struck his heart like it had struck Hinata's just a month before. Blood bubbled to his lips and he coughed, a deathly chill running through his body, spikes of pain lancing through his vital organ. Crimson splattered the ground as a final shudder ran through the blond before he collapsed, his body hitting the dusty earth with an air of finality.

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><p>Up in the reserved section of the stands, the Hokage looked on with carefully veiled horror. 'I'm sorry, Minato. I've failed you,' the strongest ninja in the village bowed his head as an almost unperceivable sign of grief. How could he have let his successor's son die in a place like this? In this way? He had failed and there was no doubting that. His eyes lifted to scan the battle ground after that nanosecond of remorse and a different thought ran through his head, 'I really am getting old and soft.'<p>

Sasuke had just arrived in time to see Naruto take his final breath. He looked away and muttered a silent curse. Hinata's eyes widened in shock and burning hot tears welled up in her eyes against her will. In the arena, Aoba stared at the scene and shook his head. Children killing one another. It wasn't anything he hadn't seen before but even after all those years it still felt terribly wrong. He was about to call the victor when another figure appeared in the arena and carved a line into the bloody ground.

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><p>Neji's head had already whipped around and he was now glaring at the newcomer, the 'Naruto' sprawled lifelessly on the floor poofed out of existence. Neji smirked, "So what are you going to do now, Naruto? You're on your last legs. You can't walk. I could easily defeat you now." Neji's smirk suddenly turned into a look of shock, as he felt all his energy being sapped from him and the last thing he saw was 'Naruto', his hands planted firmly on the ground and furiously channeling chakra.<p>

Minato sighed in relief as Neji fell to the ground, not to awaken for at least another hour. Aoba stared, dumbfounded. How had the Hyuuga prodigy been felled? Neji lay prone on the ground in the centre of the arena, cracks branching out, battle scars that had been carved into the dusty ground from the fight.

"W-Winner, Uzumaki Naruto," he announced. He was still trying to puzzle out the situation even after Neji and Minato were carried away to the infirmary on stretchers. Minato lay immobile and wondered if he would regain the use of his legs in time for the next match.

The Hokage laughed inwardly, relieved and still reeling from the blond's odd battle strategy. Only Naruto would have been lucky enough to have pulled it off. He clutched the tri-pronged kunai in his ninja pouch and muttered a silent apology for giving up on _his_ son so soon and a heartfelt thank you to his successor, for watching over Naruto. He saw the boy as a grandchild and would be devastated if he lost the boy. He sighed at his sentimentality for bringing along the kunai, their country's greatest weapon. It was risky, he knew, but he felt that he would need it for a strange reason. He released his hold on it and rested his hand back on his lap, gazing warily at the Kazekage sitting next to him.

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><p>Kurenai stared at the floor of the arena, riddled with gouges and lines carved into it, and stained with dark red blots from the spilt blood that had already seeped into the ground. A feminine voice then wafted from beside her. "Sensei, why did Neji faint like that?" Hinata asked timidly. Kurenai turned to look at Hinata, then back to gaze at the arena's floor.<p>

"Look closely at the ground again, Hinata. See how the marks on the ground form a symbol?" Kurenai traced out the scars made to the dirt. Hinata nodded, coughing lightly. "It's a seal. He used the power behind the attacks they threw around to carve into the ground a basic seal that would cause the affected to fall asleep instantly. He manipulated Neji," Kurenai finished.

Hinata joined her sensei in staring at the ground with that knowledge in mind. Viewing the damage as a whole rather than separately, she realized how little faith she really had in Naruto. He was strong, and she knew that he would never have given up that easily. Sighing forlornly, she waited patiently for the next match, stewing in unnecessary guilt at her lack of belief.

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><p>Sasuke strode down into the arena, holding his opponent's murderous gaze easily. "Mother will have your blood," Gaara stated, a manic grin spreading across his face. Sasuke remained silent and his gaze gyrated momentarily to Kakashi, in the stands, his eyes serious as he nodded. His mentor had given the go-ahead. Aoba started the match and Sasuke opened the fight with a few taijutsu moves, his body blurring from the speed at which he was executing his techniques. Sand rose to meet every punch, kick and elbow strike that Sasuke could throw at the red head and blocked each one, the impact jarring the Uchiha's body as he retreated. Gaara sneered at his attempts before encasing himself in a spherical shield of sand, protecting his body from all attacks. Almost all.<p>

Sasuke stared at the full body protection, formulating plans and trashing them. None were going to work if he couldn't even get past the sand defense. Channeling chakra to his feet and into the ground, he was painfully aware of the limited amount of times he could use this devastating technique. Using the chakra he'd gathered, he launched himself up the wall and waited, gathering the lightning chakra around his hand.

He shot towards his opponent, his body blurring into a black and blue blur as he raced towards his opponent. Lightning trailed in his wake and encased his hand as he pile drove it through the shell and penetrated it, not without effort. Something warm and sticky coated his hand and he knew that he had accomplished what he had intended to do. He backed away, watching warily as the sand sloughed off and onto the ground, releasing a very much knocked out Gaara.

"Winner, Uchiha Sasuke," Aoba announced in awe. Sasuke, however, wasn't pleased. He frowned in suspicion. It was too easy. This could not have happened. Garra was a monster. A monster who had beaten Lee into the ground and looked like he wasn't even trying. Despite the wound on the red head's shoulder, open and gushing blood, the scarlet life-giving liquid spilling out onto the floor, it still didn't satisfy Sasuke. This was not the fight that he had wanted. He turned and walked away to join the others.

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><p>Temari, Kankuro and Baki were having internal panic attacks. This was not good. They melted into the shadows. No one noticed them leave. The Kazekage watched the boy carefully, tensing his muscles to react at a moment's notice. This did not go unnoticed by the Sandaime and he ordered his two chosen guards closer.<p>

* * *

><p>In the arena, the sand picked up gently, gently enough to have gone unnoticed, but then it exploded viciously upwards, encasing Gaara completely and startling the four medics attempting to put him on a stretcher. The medic closest to Gaara screamed as sand blasted him full in the face, pouring into his eyes, blinding him efficiently. Gaara chuckled, a crazed glint shining with a vengeance in his eyes. Reaching out with clawed fingers, he dug two into each socket, pulling skewered eyeballs out with an almost audible 'pop'. Laughing again, the possessed boy flicked the bloody spheres to the ground and squished them under his heel. He turned nonchalantly and flicked a wrist dramatically, causing streams of sand to bash against two other shocked medics. Bruised limbs littered the ground with numerous thumps, amidst tortured howling and the tell-tale snapping of ribs and spines. Pained cries choked off with a guttural gurgle of blood and two crimson-stained heads hit the ground, rolling away from the laughing manic. He swung around, hand flashing out too quickly to be seen, fisting around the last, sobbing medic.<p>

"**Who else challenges me?! I DARE you all to come against me- I am your DEATH. I will KILL you ALL. EVERYONE HERE WILL DIE!"** The grip on the choking medic tightened, to the point ugly purple splotches formed around stiffened fingers and blood to trickle out of the victims nose. The bluing corpse thudded to the ground, just as the sand kicked up once more, this time around numerous trembling spectators, drawing agonized screams as they were smothered and drowned by the mass of bloodied grains.

The ninja at the arena sprung into action after snapping out of their horrified stupors, dragging civilians out of the way of the rampaging demon, some getting trapped within its clutches and getting killed along with the civilians. Kakashi grabbed two people and executed a quick shunshin just as the sand lashed at the space that he had occupied not seconds before. The Genin rushed towards the civilian side of the stands, dragging people out as fast as they could manage. A whip of sand came crashing down on Hinata, the girl frozen with fear. She regained enough sense to kick the man she had been helping away before resigning herself to her fate.

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><p>The Kazekage sat amidst all the chaos and laughed. It was all going to plan. Sarutobi stared at the man in horror, a horror that only intensified when the man's guards started to attack his own. "Remember me, sensei?" the man teased, an inhuman laugh bubbling from his lips.<p>

"Orochimaru," the Hokage's eyes narrowed.

"It's too bad I didn't get that Uchiha before, but I won't fail this time. And I'll bring your precious village crashing down around you," the man laughed again and attacked the elderly Hokage just as the two Konoha guards fell in duty, bringing the Oto guards down with them.

* * *

><p>Hinata opened her eyes and found herself still alive. A brown haired lady was tending to her wounds and everything around her was white. "Don't stress yourself. You're lucky you escaped with just a few cuts," the lady said.<p>

"I-I'm… I-I'm a-at th-the h-hospital?" she squeaked, wincing at the dry hoarseness of her throat. The lady nodded her head kindly and bandaged her arm.

"There. Make sure not to do anything vigorous for now. I want you to rest. And if you need anything, just buzz. I might not be able to respond immediately though, since we have so many injured, so please don't buzz for me unless it's an emergency. I wish you a speedy recovery," the medic finished her usual speech and strode out of the room. It was only then did Hinata notice the many people around her with varying degrees of injuries, crammed into the room together with her. She lay down and tried to recall what had happened.

* * *

><p>Minato jumped onto another branch to avoid a bullet of sand that had been speeding towards him and found himself grimacing. His legs had not fully recovered since his match with Neji and he was now alone. Facing Shukaku. Alone in the woods where possibly no one would come to his aid. He had used the Hiraishin seal to transport Shukaku away from the arena. He had arrived just in time to save Hinata from being buried under a tonne of bloodied sand and had left her in Haku's care.<p>

'Oh, the irony. This feels like history repeating itself,' Minato thought as he flipped onto a branch higher than the one he was on in time to see the previous one splinter and snap in half under the whirling sand. The giant sand tanuki laughed and taunted him with a slew of unsavory expletives, and Minato muttered one of his own in reply. The blond jumped towards the canopy, using the trees to propel himself upwards, and burst from the leaves.

This action caught the demon by surprise as the boy became nothing but a blur as it darted towards its head, the haphazard movement making him difficult to catch. Minato had just reached Gaara when he found himself pulled forcefully away, his fingers just brushing the skin of Gaara's arm before he was flung violently back into the trees.

"**Think you're so CLEVER do you? Oh, well, you'll do for entertainment until the REAL ninjas get here. Then I'll slaughter you ALL!"** Shukaku scheeched in a booming laugh that echoed around the forest. Minato's eyes narrowed and his vision drifted in and out of focus. He had enough chakra to do the Hiraishin and then some, but would it be enough?

"**I'll rip him to pieces for you if you'd just let me out,"** Minato shook the Kyuubi's voice away. The fox had gotten him to turn his mindscape into a terrible, bloody place with imaginary humans and demons to hunt, and he did not wish to spend more time in there than he absolutely had to. Apparently, rabbits were not enough for the Kyuubi.

Minato found himself dodging sand tentacles and very nearly _skipping_ his way up to Shukaku, his movements unpredictable and wild. Not stopping when he reached the demon's head, he clothes-lined Gaara's prone body as he attempted to forcefully rip the boy out of the sand using his momentum. Gaara's eyes snapped open just as the crazed gleam in the sand tanuki's eyes faded away.

"**NOOO! I JUST GOT OUT! YOU CAn't…!"** the demonic voice faded into nothing but a whisper in the wind. Gaara and Minato found themselves tumbling towards the ground, from about five hundred feet in the air.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi and Orochimaru were now locked in combat on a rooftop in a spacious purple barrier. A team of Anbu was stationed just outside, at a loss for what to do. They had no way of entering the barrier like their fallen comrade had attempted. He was now burnt into Kentucky Fried Anbu. This was not good. Worse still, a dense forest obscured their vision and thus, they had lost sight of both Kage. This was a really bad day.<p>

* * *

><p>Gaara lay on the ground, unable to move as a pair of feet landed softly on the ground. "St-stay away…" he rasped. The demon was defeated, he was defeated. He was at this boy's mercy. And he had yet to justify his existence. "I… I have yet to…. prove that I… live… My existence..." Gaara ground out. Even spitting those words drained energy from his now weakened body.<p>

Minato sat down next to the red head. "You have two people who really care for you. Well, enough to stay here during the entire fight. I suppose it was to make sure you were okay," the blond glanced at the tree line. A blond and a brunet emerged, each holding their weapons out, ready to strike, however hesitant they were.

"Te-mari? Kan…kuro?" Gaara whispered in disbelief.

"That's proof enough you exist. To protect those precious to you, I mean," Minato grinned, a gesture that caused all of the sand siblings to relax a fraction.

"I have no…" Gaara stopped and glanced at his siblings as they rushed to help him up now that the blond wasn't deemed a threat.

"Is that… how you're so strong?" Gaara asked, his question barely audible, a wild storm of emotions whirling in his eyes. The most Minato had ever seen.

Minato nodded and smiled, "Of course. Hinata, Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei… I would do anything to protect them. That justifies my existence. You already have two by your side… You just can't see that yet."

Gaara nodded and the trio departed, leaving Minato alone in the clearing with a chill in his bones and an ominous feeling in the air. A whispered, "I'm sorry Temari, Kankuro," carried on the wind and a smile ghosted across the blond's lips. He fell onto his bottom, exhausted, as he sighed in relief and laughed giddily at the sky.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi stared in horror as three coffins rose from the ground. Blood dripped down his arm as he grabbed a handful of shuriken and launched them at the coffins. 'I can't let the third one be completed,' was all that ran through his mind, but his injury slowed him down. He was too late. All was lost. The third coffin had been completed. It stood proudly with the other two, the kanji for 'four' emblazoned on it as if taunting the old man. "I'm sorry, Minato," the old man whispered as the coffin lids fell open.<p>

* * *

><p>In the clearing, a shock of pain ran through Minato's body, as if someone was trying to rip his soul from his body. He collapsed in agony as pained screams tore from his throat and echoed through the lonely, deserted clearing. He could feel his bones lengthening and his body rapidly stretching into that of his older body, as if some external power were trying to force his body into it. Pain ripped up his spine as it pulled and snapped into place. His headband clattered to the floor and his clothes strained to accommodate his older form.<p>

It left as suddenly as it had happened, leaving him a panting, ragged, sodden mess. Waves of nausea churned in his stomach and he spat out the sour bile rising in his throat, choking wretchedly. It was only after he'd regained his composure that he realized what he'd brought up wasn't his lunch but his blood. A metallic tang settled on his tongue and he coughed weakly. At the very least his body felt stronger and his injuries had disappeared. "Now I know how a werewolf feels," Minato joked weakly to himself.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi watched as the coffin lids fell open one by one, each revealing a familiar face. He watched with a mix of horror and longing as the last coffin lid fell open. To his surprise, unlike the other two whom had stepped out like zombies, the blond simply fell forward, its face cracking and revealing a dead Oto ninja inside. "M-Minato…?" Sarutobi called tentatively, but the blond look alike stayed prone on the ground, its remaining blue eye glassy and empty. Nothing but a puppet without strings. Orochimaru seemed just as surprised, but hesitated for only a few seconds before sinking a kunai into the body of the Shodaime and the Nidaime. This was not going to end well.<p>

* * *

><p>Minato stole through the halls of the Anbu headquarters. The place was deathly quiet as all the Anbu had been deployed around the village to help with the waves of Suna-nin pouring in through the village gates. Entering the equipment room, he switched out his clothes for that of an Anbu's, finding a set that fit him nicely. He sealed his torn and bloody clothes into a scroll and slipped it into his pouch.<p>

He looked at the masks lining the wall and picked up an old, dusty one right in the corner, hidden in the shadows. It was a fox mask, but Kitsune had died in battle about twelve years ago, and since then, no one had taken it up. It was a cursed mask. While some hung theirs up in retirement, once anyone put the fox mask on, the only way they got out of Anbu was in a body bag. No one escaped it. Not even Kushina.

Minato traced the markings that stretched across the porcelain with his fingers, but the times he had spent with Kushina seemed so far away. Remembering those times brought emotion to his chest. Something he didn't need at the moment. He donned the mask and performed a shunshin to join the fray just as an Anbu entered to rip his mask off the wall and do the same. He never noticed the missing mask.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi was breathing heavily, but so was his former student. He had eradicated the Shodaime and Nidaime Zombies with his paper explosives and several powerful Katon attacks, but it took all that he had. He had nearly run out of projectiles that he could throw and all that was left was the tri-pronged kunai and a handful of shuriken. His time had come, but he wasn't going to go down without taking Orochimaru with him. He summoned Enma for the final battle, greeting his old friend with a cheeriness that belied the tension.<p>

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><p>Minato ploughed his way through Suna's forces, incapacitating ninja left and right. Konoha's forces had been cut nearly in half by the attack at the arena and most of their shinobi were at the hospital, a small amount dead. 'Where are you, Jiraiya?' Minato fretted inwardly as he continued to rapidly cut down the enemy's forces. As if in answer to his prayer, a giant frog landed just in front of him, destroying a few houses as well as decimating the enemy's numbers.<p>

"Never fear, the gallant Jiraiya has arrived," the white haired sage shouted down, doing his self-introductory dance. Minato could have laughed if the situation weren't so dire. His eyes gravitated from the toad sage to what was behind the man. A barrier glowed an eerie purple, pulsating with energy, the interior spammed with wild looking plants. Looking back at Jiraiya, Minato decided that the village's safety was in good hands and made a beeline for the barrier. It exuded a terrible chakra, though it held a faint undercurrent of several others. It was still one he knew very well. Orochimaru's.

**A/N: I'm so sorry. If you feel offended, please let me know. Please review and… well, I'm sorry for the extremely late update. I really can't say sorry enough times… And I'm sory for my liberal use of line breaks. I had to switch scenes a lot. Please bear with me... *cries* And please leave comments on how I could improve it. If you find something that would be illogical or any inconsistency, please leave it in a review. I'll try my best to correct it. Thank you. And I want to thank etErnalroSe09 for being my beta and lending me her laptop when mine was being a bitch and the other was hogged by my sis and etErnalroSe09's gay bro.**

**etErnal: *reading the bloody bits I typed* AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**English-Illiterate: Sorry about that. Thanks for writing that Gaara-turns-into-Shukaku-and-slaughters-people bit. I'm not fond of gore or macabre … stuff… And yes, I know you're crazy. Sadist *mumbles***

**etErnal: AHAHA! Review or I'll CASTRATE YOU, girl or guy. Pffft. AHAHAHA!**

**English-illitearate: Yes, etErnal's a real person. She's not my alter ego. She has a whole slew of alter egos by herself and yes, I'm a nice, suspiciously good, kind, gentle, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly kind of person in real life and online. Aura Ninja! (Yes, I'm still calling you that, Aura Guardian Kimi or Sealing Mistress as you're calling yourself now) Please, update! I'm sorry, I wasn't a good beta but I love your current story. Please continue… *cries***


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Merry Christmas! I'm sorry this chapter came out so late but... I'm trying... *cries* To everyone who reviewed, thank you so much. I hope you continue to support me and my... kinda cliché, weird, not very up-to-standard story... *cries* Why am I crying on Christmas? *bawls* Oh yeah... Um... As you can see, I've changed the fight between the Sandaime and Orochimaru a bit. It's... Um... Sorry... :(**

**etErnal: *too busy playing Project Diva***

**EI: Fine...**

**7:08pm: etErnal: I'm back... to edit... Hi.**

_Chapter 22: Ghosts don't have feet_

Minato hopped from rooftop to rooftop, eventually reaching the purple barrier. He landed silently behind the Anbu, at the same time masking and suppressing his chakra to keep them from detecting him. Trees spun themselves through every branch or trunk available, creating an effective visual blockade. He sat, assessing the situation, before deeming himself useless here and vanished. None of the Anbu noticed that he was ever there.

The blond found himself amidst the confusion on the ground once again. He crouched, spun and lashed out at the back of an enemy ninja's knee, the kunoichi crumpling to the ground as a kunai sailed over Minato's head. He got up and tilted his body to the left as a punch sailed past his head. The blond responded in kind with a kunai to the head and the assailant dropped dead. He stepped over the man's dead body and took out another Suna shinobi with a slash to the neck, cleanly severing his head.

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><p>Kakashi found this all to be incredibly annoying as they swarmed through the village gates and hurled themselves at them. He wouldn't have minded if they were all hot babes, but no. They were all trained ninja. What had he done to anger the gods? He was tiring. Slowly, but surely his strength was being sapped away by the enemy's sheer numbers. A group of about ten ninja pounced on him. He made quick work of them as always, but didn't notice an eleventh dart at him from behind. The ninja was at least A-ranked, his chakra suppressed below the levels that Kakashi could sense. 'A ninja never leaves his back exposed,' Kakashi lamented as he twisted away in vain, knowing that if it didn't strike his heart from the back, it might still hit something debilitating.<p>

A strong arm wrapped around his waist, and he was pulled away at speeds he never knew ninja were capable of. He was dropped unceremoniously at the side of a building and a lifeless thud told him that his adversary was dead. He looked up to a white porcelain face, markings covering it in graceful patterns that could only suggest that the animal it depicted was a fox. "K-Kushina-sama?" Kakashi finally managed to choke out, but the Anbu was gone.

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><p>Sarutobi panted, sweat sliding down his back, tracing the length of his spine. Orochimaru stood across from him, his smirk set in place, almost defiant in nature. "When did you become this monster, Orochimaru," Sarutobi asked of his former student, feeling fatigue settle deep into his old bones. The crazed man that his student had become simply laughed, a laugh of madness.<p>

"Minato... I'm sorry. I'll might have to use that... If this goes on any longer, I guess I'll see you in the afterlife," Sarutobi gave a wan smile. He'd used up all his tricks and there seemed to be no other way to defeat the black haired maniac before him. He really was getting old. Fingering the Hiraishin kunai one last time, he braced himself for the forbidden jutsu he might have to execute. He looked to Enma, incapacitated and on the floor, bound by snakes, then back to Orochimaru. He charged at his student, reluctant to use Shiki Fuujin. If this failed, as he suspected it would, he would pull out all the stops and sacrifice his life.

Orochimaru's smirk widened as the sound of a blade slicing through the air reached his ears. The Sandaime had obviously missed the faint whine of the steel parting air as he ran at Orochimaru. Enma grasped at the air in vain, trying desperately to stop the oncoming blade from reaching his summoner. The monkey king's eyes widened with strain as he made one last desperate grab for the blade. He missed.

Orochimaru's grin turned into a scowl as the blade was deflected and batted away, buurying itself up to the hilt in a wizened tree to right of the Sandaime. An Anbu had appeared in a flash of yellow light, tattoo displayed proudly on his left shoulder. Orochimaru's scowl soured into an expression of pain as the kunai buried itself in his shoulder, the Sandaime jumping away and addressing the Anbu.

"Genma?" Sarutobi guessed. "What are you doing?" The Anbu shook his head, eyes still trained on Orochimaru.

The unknown Anbu sped towards Orochimaru, his kunai drawn and severed Orochimaru's head clean from his shoulders. The body then melted into mud and Sarutobi threw an exploding tag as the man reappeared, the paper slicing through the air just as a blade would, and detonating on Orochimaru's arm. The dark haired outlaw grunted before melting away again, this time reappearing behind the Anbu.

The blond bent backwards as Kusanagi cut through the air above his head, and he snapped back up to counter Orochimaru with a vicious head-butt, his forehead impacting bruisingly with the Sannin's. Sarutobi took the opportunity to nail Orochimaru in the back with his well known Bojutsu skills while the Anbu launched a few shuriken, which quickly became a few dozen.

The Sannin danced through the hail of shuriken, weaving and dodging to avoid the projectiles, and in too precarious a situation to avoid a spinning kick and subsequent blow from the staff. The dark haired man flipped away, seamlessly recovering from the blows. He melted away into mud again.

Orochimaru re-emerged from the bough of a tree, slightly incensed at the Anbu's presence. he had thought that the barrier would have been enough to keep them out. Apparently not this one. He gripped Kusanagi in one hand and swiftly closed the gap between himself and the Anbu's back. He was flustered now, as the Anbu moved away at speeds he only remembered witnessing during the Third Shinobi war, and grabbed his wrist with a calloused hand. The Sannin could feel fatigue beginning to take hold of him. He could feel his chakra being sapped away at an alarming pace now. He melted away again, leaving the Anbu to look at his muddied hand.

The Sannin materialised back at the base of a tree, hidden away from the two ninja. He felt incredibly weak. Completely drained of all energy. Making a handseal, he sent a discreet distress call to the Sound Four and Kabuto. This was not a battle he could win, and he would bide his time.

Sarutobi watched as the Anbu touched his finger to the ground before pointing in a random direction. They sped towards a seemingly random tree in time to witness Orochimaru, one arm slung over Kabuto. A harsh breeze blew through the forest as the barrier shattered. And then the duo were gone with the wind. The Anbu sped through the crumbling rooftop forest, coming to a stop right in the centre of it all. An Anbu, Kitsune, had the Sandaime over one shoulder, his footsteps even and purposeful as he made his way towards them. The forest chipped away and sloughed off as he walked. The Anbu snapped into battle ready positions, weapons drawn and chakra spiking, but the unknown Anbu simply deposited their leader on the roof tiles and vanished in a flash and a crackle of lightning.

Minato reappeared on the rooftops and watched as his predecessor was rushed to the hospital, despite the man's insisting that he was fine. Minato smiled before leaving to help clean up the last dregs of the invading forces.

* * *

><p>Kakashi was rounding up the last of the enemy's forces to send to Ibiki when he saw a white flash of porcelain. He instinctively grabbed its owner's arm, his instincts telling him that the person had actully allowed himself or herself to be caught. Warm blue eyes peered out from the slits in the mask and Kakashi's grip slipped, his arm falling to his side in a sudden wave of tiredness.<p>

"Mi-Minato... Ghost..." Kakashi spluttered. The same blue eyes sparked with amusement as Kakashi stared at him with wide eyes. Ninja were fast disappearing from the streets as they reported in, leaving the two of them alone, on the deserted walkway.

"I... Who are you? Kitsune died during the Kyuubi attack and no one else has taken up that mask," Kakashi interrogated, eyes narrowing. The unknown Anbu's shoulders started to shake, before bubbling over into a laugh of relief. Kakashi started to relax, against his wishes as he watched the impostor laugh for a good five minutes.

"Remove your mask. Please," Kakashi asked, his voice trembling and softer than he would have liked. At those words the mask slipped off of the man's face and clattered to the floor, the cursed accessory remaining intact even after the fall. It spun for a short while before falling completely still. "Yo, Kakashi. Sorry I'm late. I died and had to fight through nine levels of hell to get back. Lucky I made it, huh?" Minato grinned at his former student.

"S-sensei..." Kakashi gripped the fabric of the Anbu uniform Minato had on, his legs losing all feeling and he fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry, sensei, I'm so sorry," he mumbled over and over like a mantra, his fingers sinking into the fabric of Minato's pants as if the man would disappear again if he let go.

Minato bent down to be level with the silver haired man and hugged him back. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here for Naruto, and for you. I hope you've been well," Minato started off, feeling slightly awkward with a grown man in his arms, said man burying his face in his shoulder as he nodded. "I don't have much time, and I know it's selfish but please... look after Naruto for me," Minato finished. Kakashi nodded and Minato pulled away from the embrace. "It's nice to know you've grown to be such a strong shinobi... I'm sure we'll meet again," Minato cast him one last smile and vanished without a trace.

"No! Sensei! Wait!" Kakashi grasped at the air, but his sensei was already gone, all that was left was the Kitsune mask lying silently and serenely on the road. Kakashi picked it up and trudged back to the Hokage Tower, stowing the mask away in its forgotten corner before heading to the debrief. He heard everything without listening, was dismissed with the rest of them and collapsed on his bed the moment he reached home. He could still feel his sensei's warmth as he had embraced him longingly, but even now, the memory was fading, becoming more dream-like. A dream within a dream of broken dreams.

* * *

><p>Haku rushed over to the door to the hospital. She had a heard a muffled thud and a very familiar chakra signature not too long ago. Yanking open the doors, a young blond collapsed inwards, the brunette catching him before he hit his head against the hardwood that was the floor. "Naruto!" she ran a quick diagnosis of him before treating him on the spot with iryou-ninjutsu. She then gingerly carried him up to an room in the infirmary, shaking her head at how he could have gotten himself hurt so badly. And why on earth was he decked out in an Anbu uniform a few sizes too big for him?<p>

Minato woke up to a white ceiling and snapped into an upright position. Suddenly, everything flooded back to him. Somehow, after his transformation back into 'Naruto', all the injuries he'd suffered came back full force, hitting him like a tidal wave and forcing him to his knees. He barely had enough energy to drag himself to the hospital, using the buildings as crutches on those ravaged, deserted roads.

He sat back down on the bed and glanced around at the many injured parties sprawled across the floor wherever there was space. Relinquishing his bed, he gingerly carried a little girl, who was previously slumped against the wall from her location on the floor, bridal style, and deposited her on the bed that he had vacated. He quietly snuck out of the hospital room, wincing as he noticed that his clothes had been switched out for a hospital gown. The Kyuubi had healed all of his existing injuries and he felt no need to stay in the hospital.

As Minato turned the corner, he bumped into Kakashi. Quite literally. Minato fell to the floor, his butt complaining as it connected with the cold hard tiles. Minato looked up and gave a sheepish grin saying, "Hey, sensei... I was just..." Minato turned his brain inside out to find an excuse.

"Trying to escape the hospital," Kakashi finished for him.

"Ehehe... Yeah... you caught me, sensei... But there are so many people injured and I'm fine, see?" Minato submitted himself for inspection by Kakashi.

"That's for the doctor to decide, Naruto," the silver haired man shrugged and dragged him back to the room he had just exited. Minato pouted childishly as he subjected himself to the man-handling. Kakashi left soon after dropping him off. Minato caught himself about to stick his tongue out at his sensei's back for good measure.

"Well, this is boring," Minato mumbled to himself. The prankster in him began to scheme and soon, he was out of the building, fully clothed in his ninja attire, and a few nurses chasing after him. They ran through a corridor where paintballs and chicken feathers flew through the air, quickly dissuading a good number of them. Gai chased after him, screaming about the un-youthfulness of running away from medical treatment. That was taken care of with a few mice and a vacuum cleaner. After escaping the building, he could still hear frustrated screams and shrieks of those who had attempted to haul him back. He was about to leave when Haku exited, a smile adorning her face as she walked up to him.

"Uh... Hi, Haku-chan..." Minato shrank away from her eerie 'Smile of Death'.

"You really should be resting, Naruto," Haku's smile was still in place, widening if it were even possible.

"But it's so boring," Minato found himself whining. The argument sounded weak even to his ears.

"I told you to rest, dattebane!" Haku's eyes blazed as she jabbed at a pressure point.

Minato's eyes widened and he flopped to the ground, unable to move. He felt himself be picked up bridal style and before he lost consciousness, all he could think of was, 'Kushina!'

**A/N: Sorry... I... I suck... *cries* This was too short, I know, but I don't have the time. I'm going for camp tomorrow so... *cries* I'll try harder... I'm in the crying mood right now... :'(**

**etErnal: STOP CRYING! *pinches bridge of nose* Che. Can we continue the Crackfic now?!**

**EI: Yep! XD**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I am so sorry. I've been procrastinating. A lot. I couldn't find the time to write and I'm making excuses again. I'm so sorry, but I promise I AM going to continue the story. The updates are just probably going to be erratic. On a much nicer note, answers to reviews. XD**

**Erydanes: Very belated merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too, nyan!**

**saturday101: Oh my gosh! You read 1/2 Prince too?! *spazzes* Uh... sorry... It's just, I really like it. Meatbun is awesome! XD**

**Ivyfeather319: He most definitely will have to. :)**

**Peninsula Rin: Thank you. I'll take that to heart. Thank you for the advice. I've re-read my story. I am not sure if I managed to find what I need, but I hope that it is. Thank you again. :)**

**Rokudaime 2000: I know this was a PM, but thanks for the awesome name! If only I knew what it meant... Ehehe... But you're right, technique names sound more dramatic in Japanese. XD**

**To everyone else (even flamers, though I don't think there are any and for that I thank you), thank you for your continued support. I'll try to equal it with enthusiasm for my story. Ok! I'll try my best here! Please note that I may have changed the day of the invasion to suit minor plot points... Oh, and names for Minato's technique would be greatly appreciated, though I'm not sure if anyone will deign to... suggest any... *cries* I'm just no good with names. *cries some more***

**etErnal: Hi. I'm probably going to post after CAs. Marshmallows~ *Byakuran-ness and burning up from Mako fever***

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. :) It's been a while since I did a disclaimer, but... Well... *flounders***

_Chapter 23: Nothing but 'The Bingo Book Guy'_

"You've changed, Minato. You're really different," Jiraiya made exaggerated gestures with his arms.

"What do you mean, sensei?" Minato stared blankly at the old sennin.

"You're louder, more reckless, more Kushina-like," Jiraiya listed almost factually.

Minato merely raised an eyebrow in acceptance of the fact, "That's not odd, if not expected. This is Naruto's body after all. It's only natural that I would obtain some of his personality."

"But using that experimental jutsu..." Jiraiya flapped his arms in distress.

"You're right. I shouldn't have done that, that night. I wasn't thinking straight," Minato turned away, guilt intent on choking him. He hated seeing Jiraiya worried. It looked out of place on the carefree, perverted man's face.

"Damn right," the look of consternation on the man's face softened. "I'm just glad you're alive," the older of the two sighed, thinking, 'I can't afford to lose you again.'

Minato remained silent, his eyes fixed on the white wall in front of him, only turning to stare at the door when he sensed the man leave through there. Not long after, he allowed himself to embrace the comforting sensation of drifting between the dream world and the waking one. His eyes snapped open when he sensed Haku's chakra signal enter the room. As she stood over him, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, his eyes jerking open. Sitting up, he was greeted by Haku's calm, smiling face and he let go of her.

'This isn't Kushina. Her chakra feels... off. It's too stable, too cold. It isn't burning with the same volatility and fiery passion that made Kushina so unique,' Minato thought, a melancholic smile appearing on his face in answer to hers. 'It isn't anywhere near as loud or blazing as it was when I tried to escape the hospital,' his smile faded into a neutral line on his face as he averted his eyes and stared into the near abyss-like white of the ceiling.

'Just to be sure,' the blond's head snapped up and he stared determinedly at Haku, causing the latter to retreat slightly.

"Remember, Tomato?" a shimmer of mischief sparked in Minato's eyes as his lips formed the words.

Haku merely tilted her head curiously to the side and asked, "What tomato?"

The hope in Minato's eyes faded, slowly analysing the room as he searched for a follow-up to his seemingly random outburst.

"I'm on my break, and you're discharged as of now so if you get dressed quickly, we could go eat at Ichiraku's together," Minato turned his eyes on Haku, who had solved his dilemma for him by moving away from the subject.

"Sure," the blond quickly slipped into the clothes that had been laid out for him while Haku waited outside. He recognised the raiment as his own, the copious amount of orange being a dead giveaway.

The two walked towards Ichiraku Ramen, silence reigning between.

"So how's Lee's condition?" the blond attempted to strike up a conversation.

"Not good. He might have to quit being a ninja," Haku replied tonelessly.

"Oh. That's... bad," Minato made a mental note to go search for Tsunade. If anyone could heal Lee, it was her.

"Yes. Yes it is."

"Have you always had that choker?"

"Ever since I was born. I've tried taking it off but it never works. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Minato's crystal orbs drifted to the cloth wrapped around her pale neck. A pendant hung at the front. It glinted fiercely in the sun, a fiery fox with nine tails.

"Nice pendant," the young male commented good-naturedly.

"What?!" Haku jolted, startled.

"Oh, I'm sorry if you hate it. It just looks so beautiful, even if it is a bit ironic."

"It's not that. It's just that no one has been able to see it before, not even Zabuza-sama."

'That's odd,' Minato mused inwardly. 'People can see mine perfectly well. Even tried to kill me with it in anger because it looks like one of my old weapons.'

They soon arrived at Ichiraku Ramen and the duo sat down to eat.

"How is it in the hospital?" the blond one of the two asked through a mouthful of noodles.

"It's not as hectic now as it was immediately after the Suna-Oto invasion. I like it there. No fighting, just injured comrades waiting to be healed," Haku replied.

Their lunch ended in silence and they went their separate ways, the blond using his newfound freedom to take a walk around the slightly damaged village. He took a turn, his head in the clouds, and had to twist his body to the side sharply to avoid colliding with Sasuke.

"Hey, Naruto," he raised a hand in greeting.

"Hi," the blond replied, a smile spreading across his face.

"Have you seen Kakashi-sensei? He told me to meet him four hours ago, and he's later than usual," Sasuke confided in his teammate. The blond gave a half-hearted shrug. He hadn't seen Kakashi since the invasion, but he had a theory on where the grey haired man would be.

"I'll go look around the village one more time. See ya," Sasuke ran off to look for his mentor.

Shrugging again, Minato let his feet carry him to Training Ground 7. Kakashi's presence immediately appeared on his radar. The Jounin was standing before the memorial stone, staring down at it with unfocused eyes.

"Sensei... Was it you I saw? Or was it an illusion? Are you really... alive?' Kakashi mumbled. "We were all sure you'd died. If... if you're really alive, give me a sign. Show me that my father figure is still alive."

The ex-Hokage stood at the edge of the clearing, chakra suppressed to its lowest levels, watching his student from a lifetime ago.

'I should leave. He'll need some time,' Minato thought, feeling a slight twinge of regret for burdening his old student with the knowledge of his existence. At least Iruka knew who he was masquerading as and how he was doing. Kakashi didn't know anything other than that he thought he saw his sensei during the invasion. He was about to turn and leave when a tear slipped down the man's cheek.

'Please Kakashi, I'm not worth all that,' the blond silently begged of the usually emotionally lacking Jounin.

The silver haired man gave a melancholic bark of laughter," If you could only see me now, Minato-sensei. I'm sure you would think I'm pathetic."

The blond sighed, shaking his head. The years had not been kind to the man's mental health. 'I nearly forgot! It's Kakashi's birthday today isn't it?' Minato realised rather belatedly. He withdrew a tri-pronged kunai from his weapons pouch and hastily tied a sash to the ring at the end. He painted 'Happy Birthday Kakashi' onto the white cloth in ink and ended the message by painting on a simple storage seal. Sealing a second present inside, he grimaced at his improvised present.

'Oh well,' Minato thought, and launched the kunai at Kakashi at terrifying speeds, charging it with wind chakra for extra measure moments before it left his hand. Kakashi's one eye narrowed and he caught the kunai expertly, a small cut forming on one of his fingers courtesy of the wind chakra. 'Looks like he's still got it even when he's grieving,' Minato felt proud of his ex-student for not letting sadness hamper his abilities. Not too much anyways.

Kakashi stared at the kunai in his hands in shock. His eyes roamed over the projectile and he noticed the sash. Reading it, suspicion began to flash in his eyes. He carefully activated the seal at the end of the sash, preparing for a barrage of -weapons, jutsu, anything. Anything except for a relatively new looking piece of paper flitting on the wind and laying face down in the dirt. There was a message on the side facing upwards and it read, 'You're far from pathetic, Kakashi. You have a team to lead, so keep calm and read Icha Icha. I'll be there when you need me.'

"My... team?" Kakashi muttered, as if the term were foreign to him. He flipped the piece of paper over and saw_ his_ team 7. Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto stared up at him from the photograph, two smiling, one grinning like an idiot. He himself stood behind them with an eye smile, like a pillar of support. 'That's right. I have to stop living in the past. I have a team to lead,' a flame of resolve ignited in Kakashi's eyes.

Upon seeing that, Minato turned to leave, but stopped mid-step as he felt his sensei's chakra spike and materialise behind him, a strike flying at his neck, aiming to knock him out. The ex-Hokage caught the offending hand, eyes an icy blue as he turned around to face his sensei. The Jounin caught the battle-hardened look in the boy's eyes, as if he had been through war and seen things a child should never have to witness. The copy ninja blinked in shock, and that cold look had disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place. Warm, innocent eyes blinked up at him, their owner laughing sheepishly, "Looks like you caught me, sensei."

"Who instructed you to throw that kunai at me?" Kakashi urged, his one eye exuding worry.

"A Kitsune Anbu asked me to. I just assumed they had an important message but was busy," the Genin shrugged.

"It doesn't work that way at all," the Jounin said exasperatedly. 'Did Naruto even pay attention in class? I am completely sure that they touched on Minato-sensei and his signature weapon. How did he miss that?' Kakashi sighed inwardly.

"Really? Oh... oops. Well, at least no one got hurt. Ehehe..." Minato scratched the back of his head in mock embarrassment.

"That aside, are you sure he was a Kitsune Anbu?" Kakashi asked, seemingly light heartedly.

"How did you know the Anbu was a guy?" Minato asked, holding onto his 'clueless Naruto' persona.

"Well... He was blond wasn't he?" the question sounded more like a statement, but all the same, the Genin nodded. "Let's just say I know him personally," Kakashi eye-smiled. 'Naruto saw him too. I wasn't hallucinating. Sensei is alive,' stirred at the back of his mind. "Would you look at the time? I'm sure Sasuke burst a vein or two waiting for me. Bye, Naruto," Kakashi gave a lackadaisical wave and left the training ground in a swirl of leaves.

Minato sighed and left the training ground in a manner similar to Kakashi's, heading for the Forest of Death. Once there, he switched out his orange jumpsuit for more appropriate clothing. He donned a black sleeveless shirt the left his back exposed and a pair of black pants that stopped at his shins and were bound the rest of the way, down to his ankles. He had come to the forest to practise the destructive technique he had shown Jiraiya not too long ago.

Having trained with the technique before the Chunin exams, he had found that by concentrating lightning and wind chakra in the small of his back, he would not have to spend time re-moulding the chakra around his arms and legs with their respective elements each time he hit someone. He could simply channel it from his back a split second faster and in their world, a split second determined if one lived or died. Unfortunately, due to the destructive nature of the chakra he had to focus on his back, the cloth there was blown off too. He simply decided to leave it bare.

His chakra control was now good enough to allow him to compress wind and lightning chakra around his limbs without it leaking out and rapidly draining his reserves. That was what had happened the first time he had shown it to Jiraiya. The amount of chakra sloughing off and being wasted had been appallingly large. He had, however, rectified the mistake and had tested it out the night he had saved Hanabi.

He had increased his chakra control to reign in the violent energies and shape manipulation to keep them moulded around his arms, legs and back. Taming the violent tendencies of the two elements was something he had yet to perfect, though, but he was determined to do so to ensure that they would not lash around loosely and injure himself. Or worse, a team mate.

Inhaling deeply, the blond let loose a wave of chakra. Not long after, he could sense the beasts in the forest respond by charging towards his location. He fell into a standard fighting stance and attempted the technique. Wind chakra whispered across his limbs, streaked through with ribbons of lightning chakra. It remained solely around his body. No dramatic, completely unnecessary and draining, howling and sparking of wind and lightning around him. Just quiet destruction lacing his appendages and back with the occasional crackle of harnessed lightning.

Just as he executed the technique, monstrous animals came into view, thundering towards him, mowing down the surrounding trees to get a shot at their 'prey'. Minato leapt into the air and brought his heel down on the head of one of the beasts in a vicious drop kick. His leg sliced through the beast with minimal resistance, gruesome crunches joining the medley of roars and grunts of the creatures. He jumped away and inspected his leg. It only took him a fraction of a second to channel chakra back to his leg after the strike but what fascinated him was that not a single drop of blood had been spilled. The lightning had cauterised the flesh immediately.

He launched himself back in the battle, adrenaline singing in his veins as he executed each move with deadly accuracy, tremendous strength and, most of all, speed. Somehow, the boost in speed that the technique gave him was exponential. Though it was nowhere near the Hiraishin, it was still good enough to give most low ranked Jounin a run for their money. After decimating the surrounding area and liquidating the mass of beasts, the blond stood in the middle of the forest, meditating. He simply focused on his breathing as sweat slid down his temples and his chest heaved from exertion.

After about twenty minutes of rest, he decided to test out the extent of his accuracy and speed while using the jutsu. He performed the technique again and punched a tree, a fist sized hole now present in the bark. Leaves began to flutter towards the ground, like green birds at the mercy of the wind. The blond moved to intercept the leaves, striking at them before they touched the ground and incinerating them. Soon, the leaves stopped falling and Minato deactivated the technique, leaning against the tree for support.

'It looks like I can only hold it for about half an hour or so,' Minato thought, panting as he slowly slid to a sitting position on the forest floor. The blond scratched a small barrier seal into the bark of the disfigured tree and activated it. He then fell asleep, the wind in the trees whistling a serene lullaby overhead.

The sun was touching the horizon, ready to give way to the night when Minato finally woke up, refreshed and slightly depressed that the day had passed him by so fast. He deactivated the seal, carved it out and burned it, scattering the ashes to the wind before pulling his orange jumpsuit over his training clothes. He had a quick dinner at Ichiraku's, Ayame and Teuchi being as friendly as ever, then headed home to talk to Haku.

He found her staring at the old Oi-nin mask that she used to wear while she was in the service of Zabuza. "Hey. Is now a bad time?" Minato asked, his voice soft and comforting.

"No. It's okay. I was just remembering how Zabuza always seemed to hate my tendency of sparing my opponents. And you were the first one to best me in speed," Haku ran her index finger over the smooth porcelain of the mask. "I know it's silly, but I've always been drawn to Anbu related masks," Haku laughed pleasantly.

"It's not silly. I think it's unique. I mean, I go around doing ninja missions in an orange jumpsuit," Minato joined in the laughter.

"And you're really flaky looking," Haku teased.

Minato stared at her for a while, stunned. Those were the exact same words Kushina had said to him, and there was a small spark of Kushina's chakra in Haku's. He knew what she was going to say next, though it still surprised him how bold she could be at times.

"But I'd sooner have you be Hokage than that snake geezer with no balls, ttebane!" they said in unison. Haku stared at the blond for a while, her face starting to contort comically and finally, she let out an un-ladylike laugh at the look on the ex-Hokage's face.

Minato smiled pleasantly at the warm chakra that had replaced her originally cold energy. She seemed so much like Kushina at that moment that he was sure that she had ended up in a state similar to his. She had also been terrible at staring games. Either way, all he had to do was get her to remember who she was. Easier said than done, though, because the nostalgic chakra was fading fast.

"I've always been meaning to ask you, Naruto, but how old are you?" Haku questioned pleasantly, no trace of Kushina's personality left.

"Thirteen this year. What about you?" the Genin returned the question.

"I guess we're of the same age then," Haku smiled her fake-yet-real smile and stowing the mask away.

"I suppose so. Though I always thought you were at least fifteen because you act so mature," Minato proclaimed, slightly astonished.

"Are you saying I look old?" the male ninja paled when he sensed Kushina's persona surface and he knew how touchy she was about her age. He also knew that she could get extremely violent, and that might have been putting it lightly. 'It' being her temper and violent tendencies.

"Uh, no. I should get going. Meeting with the team tomorrow. Night," the blond legged it out of the house, leaving nothing behind except for his stunted excuse.

"What am I going to do with you, Minato...?" Haku sighed tiredly. "Hmm? The bingo book guy?" Haku gave a mental shrug at the statement that had unintentionally slipped from her lips and turned in for the night, not letting the stranger's name bother her at all. After all, he was just some dead, but maybe still alive, person in an old bingo book.

**A/N: I'm really really really sorry that this chapter is so short! But I've decided to try to update more often now. It's just that I'm really scared that this chapter will turn out badly... Umm... Well... please, leave a review. I would really appreciate any advice that would help my wayward story. Thank you for your support! Really! Thank you!**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Firstly, I'm so sorry... I don't update as frequently as I used to. Please forgive me... Sorry... Happy National Day to my fellow Singaporeans. This greeting is kind of early, but my excuse is that I am currently half dead. My friend wanted to post hers on National Day itself, but has yet to finish her story. Um... So... Yeah... Go, nadiamirah! You can do it!**

**alayara - Ehehe... I guess that does sort of make us manga buddies! :) I'm sorry this chapter took so long. Um... Thank you for reading my story! **

**RABID FAN: Sort of. Except Minato is the dominant personality in his body while Haku is the dominant personality in her body. I hope you continue to read my stories, and thank you for the support! I really appreciate it!**

**crazzyredhead - Thank you! I think your idea is awesome. I hope you don't mind me using it... *sheepish***

**spartan1082 - Um... That's okay, I guess... Well... Enjoy the rest of your day. :)**

**not important - I don't like your alias. Of course you're important. Your ideas are noted and treasured. Thank you so much! I'm sorry I'm really bad at expressing myself with words... **

_Chapter 24: Naive_

Kakashi fiddled restlessly with his tri-pronged kunai, letting the Sandaime's voice wash over his head. A hand was rested on his shoulder and he brushed it away, "I'm sorry, what?"

Kurenai sighed at Kakashi's nonchalance and blatant admittance of the fact that he was not paying the Hokage any attention. Gai yelled passionately at her side, whinging about his rival's cool demeanor while clutching the hand that Kakashi had pushed away. "Hokage-sama was just asking our opinion about who you thought was worthy of promotion to Chunin," Kurenai explained testily.

Kakashi slipped the kunai away, nodding to show that he had heard, "I nominate Shikamaru."

"Why Shikamaru? He didn't even participate in the finals," questioned Asuma, taking a long drag from his cigarette before removing it from his lips and letting it dangle loosely between his fingers at his side.

"I agree. Only Naruto and Sasuke managed to have their matches before Gaara and the war occurred. Please justify your choice, Kakashi," Kurenai sided with Asuma.

"During the semi-finals, Shikamaru displayed resourcefulness, awareness of his surroundings and the ability to think ahead. And not to mention, skill," Kakashi pointed out.

Gai nodded enthusiastically, "Shikamaru's YOUTH SHINES THROUGH!"

The Hokage nodded sagely and asked if they had more nominees before Gai drove everyone out of the room with his passionate preaching about youth. This time, Aoba stepped forward, suggesting that Sasuke be promoted as well, justifying it with the Uchiha's supremacy in jutsu, speed and ability to execute strategies to turn the battle in his favour. Kakashi took to turning the kunai over and over in his hands again, nodding occasionally to give the illusion that he was listening.

When the meeting finally ended, the Hokage singled the silver haired Jounin out and requested that he stay behind. The man nodded and stood to the side of the room, his one good eye following his colleagues as they made their way out of the room, through the door by the Hokage's insistence that they not exit through the window. Gai caught his eye and patted his shoulder in what Kakashi supposed was a reassuring manner, before exiting. The moment the room was devoid of all but the Hokage and himself, Kakashi shut the door quietly. Turning, he bowed to his leader reverently, before snapping back to an upright position, back straight and eyes keen despite the lazy look on his face.

Kakashi stared at the Sandaime expectantly, awaiting whatever it was that the man had held him back for. The man behind the desk sighed, wrinkles of worry forming on his face, "What's bothering you, Kakashi? You've been acting very preoccupied lately."

"It's nothing you have to worry about, Hokage-sama," Kakashi drawled.

"If it's something that is preventing you from carrying out orders at peak condition, I have to worry about it," the number of wrinkles on the Sandaime's face increased as he scrunched his face up in apprehension.

"I'm always like this, aren't I?"

"But this time, it was more than just an act."

They stood in pregnant silence for a little longer, falling back to simply staring at each other. Finally, Kakashi, not sensing anyone within hearing distance of their location informed his leader of Kiroii Senko's status.

"The Yondaime Hokage is alive," Kakashi dropped the bomb.

"Kakashi, you have one month to get yourself together. Until then, I'm assigning another, more mentally capable Jounin to take over your Genin squad," the Sandaime buried his face in his hands tiredly.

"Hokage-sama, I'm not crazy. Sensei was here, alive."

"Kakashi, I know you miss Minato a lot, but no matter how much you wish it, the dead don't come back to life."

"He... You never found his body the night he died, did you? Maybe he survived."

"The Shiki Fujin is not something anyone, not even someone as great as Minato could have survived. Thank you for your time, Kakashi. You're dismissed."

Kakashi remained stubbornly in front of the village's leader.

"And I won't be transferring the care of your Genin team to someone else."

Kakashi placed two tri-pronged kunai on the Hokage's desk before turning to leave.

"Wait, Kakashi. How did you manage to get your hands on a second one?"

"It was a birthday present from sensei. He got Naruto to give it to me yesterday, Hokage-sama."

The Sandaime ran a hand through his thinning grey hair in exasperation.

"Okay, say, he survived. How did he manage to waltz in and ask Naruto to give you a birthday gift. Better yet, why not waltz in and give it to you personally?"

"He helped me during the invasion too, Hokage-sama. And he was wearing Kushina-sama's mask, the Kitsune mask."

"Now this is getting rather complicated. I saw him too. A man wearing the cursed Kitsune mask helped me during the fight with Orochimaru."

"So sensei really is alive!"

"I never said that, but if you wish to pursue it, I'm in no position to stop you.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said, evidently happier than he was when he had entered.

"Dismissed," the word had barely left the Sandaime's lips before Kakashi disappeared via shunshin.

The aged Hokage swung around to stare at his successor's portrait, more befuddled than ever.

"Minato... Are you really alive?" he asked of the picture. In those few seconds, he could've sworn he saw Minato wink, but that couldn't be right. It was just paper and ink. The Sandaime shook his head vigorously and looked back at the portrait. The Yondaime Hokage stared back at him, face stony and lifeless as ever.

"I'm imagining things," the Hokage dismissed the seemingly supernatural occurrence. Just then, Iruka entered, a load of papers in his arms, "These documents require your approval, Hokage-sama."

The Sandaime gave the picture one last glance, before resigning himself to the horrors of paperwork.

Minato trotted almost lazily across Konoha's rooftops, moving towards Training Ground 7 to meet up with his team. The village looked magnificent, standing resilient against the invasion as well as it did the morning sun. And now that it was nearly completely repaired, he couldn't help but admire it in all its glory. He couldn't help but feel proud at how fast they had managed to get back on their feet, even the civilians had resumed their daily works. This was the village he had grown up in and sworn to protect.

He turned away from the shops, leaping from a roof before strolling through a forested area. 'I guess it's okay to get sentimental once in a while,' he thought as he approached the Training Grounds. Sakura and Sasuke were quick to greet him, Sasuke with his usual smirk and Sakura with a bright smile. Minato gave a goofy grin and the three took a trip to Ichiraku's together for breakfast. After all, Kakashi-sensei never arrived on time.

Kakashi arrived at the time predicted. That is to say, late. There was something different about him, however. The gloomy atmosphere around him seemed to have lightened and he almost seemed genuinely satisfied with something as Squad 7 made their way to the Hokage Tower for a mission.

"Due to Squad 7's exemplary display of teamwork and skill, during the mission to Nami and during the Chunin Exams, I've decided to assign you to a second C-rank mission," the Sandaime announced.

The team cheered, with the exception of Sasuke and Kakashi, both of whom smiled pleasantly.

"No objections, Iruka?" the aged man asked of the Chunin instructor.

"None, Hokage-sama," Iruka replied without hesitation.

"Very well. This is a basic mission. You are all to act as body guards for a lady who needs to pass on some information. It is not important to us ninja, so you need not worry about enemy ninja. However, it is quite significant to thieves and bandits, so some of them might come after her. You are all to escort her to her destination in Suna, then follow her back to Tanzaku Gai," the Sandaime read off the mission details.

"Send her in," the Hokage instructed. Iruka bowed and exited, coming back with a lady, her jet black hair framing a heart shaped face, her eyes sparkling with the same inky dark colour. Her dress cut off high above her knees, nearly exposing her inner thighs. A slit went up the side of the hem of the dress, stopping just high enough to give men a tease. Her apparel showed off her voluptuous curves, especially a certain section that Kakashi was currently staring at as if entranced.

"Like what you see?" the client struck a very compromising pose and fluttered her eyelashes lasciviously.

Iruka cleared his throat loudly to recapture the Jounin's attention. Kakashi snapped his gaze back to his village's leader, eye smiling shamelessly.

Iruka cleared his throat once more and gestured to their client, "The client's name is Akane. As you can see, she is an... entertainer."

"Village gates, tomorrow, nine in the morning. Be there," Akane flashed a wink at Kakashi and sashayed out of the office.

"Well, I suggest you all pack for the mission," Iruka reminded them in Kakashi's stead, said silver-haired Jounin looking about a million miles away.

* * *

><p>The next day, Minato stood just inside the village gates, staring out at the forest beyond, book in hand forgotten. He had read this just under three dozen times, and yet never got tired of it. It was his sensei's masterpiece after all. A breeze whispered past him, and he closed his eyes, savouring the feeling of the wind caressing his face. The unpredictable that comforted him more than anything these days. It was times like these when he felt it was his element, that it was an old friend, that it belonged to no one else. Sensing someone approaching, he opened his eyes and resumed reading, not wanting to be teased about being asleep. Heavens knew how his reckless side might react to it.<p>

He waited for a considerably long while before his team mates appeared, Akane walking between them in the most sensual manner the ex-Hokage had ever seen. Akane looked him over appraisingly, then over at his two teammates before passing over to him again.

"Where's all your stuff? Your two friends seem to be properly equipped but you..." Akane trailed off, preferring to simply gesture with a slender pointer finger.

Minato smiled knowingly and produced a few scrolls from his weapons pouch. "All here."

Akane felt heat rush to her cheeks. It had been so long she'd seen a smile like his. Innocent and pure; without ulterior motive that could only come from someone who had yet to experience the horrors of war and corruption of man. Sympathy soon replaced the feeling of fascination, pitying the naive boy who was soon to have his illusion of a beautiful world shattered sooner or later.

"Well, if you're sure, hun," Akane turned towards the gates, the wind causing her hair to flutter around her like feathery wings.

Kakashi materialised near the group, holding up a hand in greeting as he sauntered merrily towards them, eye-smiling the entire way.

A lone bird made its way across the empty sky, as if signalling the start of their mission. Soon, they were trekking through the desert with nothing but the sound of sand crunching beneath their feet echoing around them. Minato simply lifted the book up to his eyes and resumed his perusal of it as they slowly shuffled on towards Sunagakure. Akane dropped to the back of the group where the blond was and threw a casual question. "You're reading a book? Who's the author?"

"Jiraiya," Minato replied, looking up at the lady, biting back the 'sensei' he habitually attached at the end of that name.

Akane's face grew stormy and she marched up to Kakashi like a woman on the warpath, pinched the man's ear and delivered an agonising twist to the cartilage. The Jounin yelped in pain.

"I may be a prostitute, but this is going too far! Letting a thirteen year old read porn?! What kind of a sensei are you?" she shouted.

"Naruto... reads porn?" Kakashi's one visible eye widened to comical proportions. "I didn't know that!"

The man strode purposefully over to his student, the latter simply watching with amusement.

"I have taught you well," Kakashi gushed, giving him a thumbs up in approval.

Minato merely gave a sheepish smile, " Sorry, Kakashi sensei. It's not porn." The blond revealed the cover of his book and Kakashi visibly wilted.

Akane stood, stunned at first, then laughter burst from her lips, unrestrained, "Of course! You're too innocent to read porn." She ruffled his hair fondly. It was as if he were the younger brother she never had. That melancholic upwards quirk of his lips confused her though. She decided not to think too much about it.

Night soon caught up with them, bringing with it a deadly chill that only night in the desert could bring. The team and their client settled down for the night. They were lucky to not encounter any bandits during their daytime travels, but the night was especially dangerous. Team 7 pitched two tents, one for the males, the other for the females. Akane stood to the side, watching the cloudless night sky as her hired bodyguards set up their accommodations for the night.

Minato scanned the vast empty space that surrounded them for miles around. The dunes that piled up benignly were scattered around in formations he could not comprehend. Out here, there was no cover, and that posed a huge problem. As he pondered, he felt a warm hand rest itself on his shoulder. He turned, already knowing who it was, and grinned broadly at Kakashi's masked face. "Yes, sensei?"

"Are you okay with taking the last shift tonight?" the silver haired man inquired.

"I'm okay with it," the blond's lips formed a reassuring smile, Kakashi offering an eye-smile in return.

As his sensei left, the ex-Hokage unsealed a sliver of paper from one of his scrolls and laid it against the shifting sands on the ground. Closing his eyes, he fed the ink formation his chakra and braced himself for the sensory overload. The sensory threads fanned out across a wide area of the desert, providing the blond with a near perfect view of the dangerous vast emptiness they were in. His scan turning up clean, he deactivated the seal and made his way back to the tent, satisfied.

The blond haired boy entered the tent with little fuss from the fabric of the tent. The three males had decided to share the night watch rotations between themselves, leaving Sakura to guard their client at all times during the night. Sasuke claimed first shift, sitting by the campsite, the miniscule grains of sand pressing against his flesh uncomfortably no matter how much he fidgeted to find a better position. The Uchiha turned his attention to the tents after a while, his eyes running across the expertly applied seals that branded their tents. They were effectively concealed from anyone who did not have knowledge of the sealing arts. He faced his eyes forward again, on guard for any signs of danger. None came, and so he woke Kakashi-sensei for the latter's shift.

Nothing had happened during the watch, and it was currently so late it was early. The sun had yet to rise, but it would in a few hours. The silver haired Jounin continued to sit outside, wanting to give his blond student another hour or so of rest. A weight landed on his shoulder, warm and reliable. It held an almost tangible kindness that seeped through his chilly clothes and warmed his core. It felt like his sensei, and was painfully close to the aura the older man had exuded on that night during their mission to destroy Kannabi bridge.

Kakashi shifted his body to look at the newcomer. 'Naruto' blinked down at him with eyes that looked exactly like those of his late sensei. In fact, almost everything about 'Naruto' looked like the Yondaime, right down to the boy's hairstyle. The only difference was the boy's choice to position the hitai-ate around his neck, and the attire. Kakashi giggled almost deliriously at the thought of 'Naruto' wearing a mini version of the Fourth Hokage's clothes.

"Get some sleep, sensei," Minato tried to coax his former student into the tent. The man almost seemed to laugh at his attempt, but complied. The blond let a weary exhalation burst from his lungs as he shifted from a standing position to a sitting one. His sensei was odd. The wind kept him company as he remained vigil outside the two tents. He sat cross-legged on the sand, his palms resting on the whitish-gold grains that seemed to dominate the area.

Just before morning dawned, as a golden glow began to creep along the edges of the horizon, a few dozen chakra signatures assaulted his senses. They were inchoate, obviously bandits. As Minato stood to meet the challenge, he felt the vague inkling of déjà vu. Enemies at daybreak, this situation seemed fairly similar to the one he had encountered during the second exam.

As they drew closer, he could also sense horses. So that was how they were moving so fast. The blond did not have to wait long before the first few made their way into his line of sight. Soon, all three dozen bandits were in the boy's range of sight, their horses snorting and pawing at the ground restlessly.

At first, their eyes were focused on the child in front of them, which was completely normal, seeing as the seals prevented them from noticing the campsite. Their eyes moved to the space behind him, shoving Minato's senses into overdrive. A fraction of a second was all it took to make out the faint, silver seal markings near each bandits' eyes. A counter, enabling them to see past basic seals like the ones they had applied to the tents.

* * *

><p>"Hey, cutie," the man right at the front of the group, presumably the leader, greeted.<p>

The Genin slipped a kunai out of his weapons pouch and held it up to his face defensively, all the while shaking like a dewdrop on a leaf. Seeing the desperation in the action, the leader laughed.

"Now, we both know you're not strong enough to take us all on, sweetheart. Just call the whore out and we'll let you go," the leader proclaimed, a perverse undertone in his words.

"Hey boss! Can we have her when it's done?" one of the other riders called out.

"No! She's my bitch!" the leader, his position now confirmed, snapped.

"Now, darling," the man dismounted. Slipping his fingers beneath the blond's chin, he tilted the latter's head left and right, inspecting his potential plaything. Hungry eyes raked over silky golden hair, cut short for 'her' profession. Narrow, blue eyes gazed up at him fearfully and rosy, full lips trembled on a face with skin smoother and more flawless than porcelain. "Get the whore out here."

The 'girl' nodded, eyes wide with fear at the prospect of what might happen if 'she' didn't. Gripping 'her' arm tightly with apprehension, 'she' turned her back on the group of bandits and began to make 'her' way slowly towards the tents, 'her' legs shaky. His eyes roamed a little higher, halting in their progress when they sighted 'her' plump, round ass. 'Her' ass was the last thing he saw.

One moment their boss was leering at the cute 'kunoichi', the next, there was a lifeless thud as he collapsed. The men shared a round of raucous laughter at the leader's expense before their horses bucked them off and fled, galloping off into the distance with dust rising in their wake. Only now were they aware of the true gravity of the situation.

Their leader hadn't fallen to the ground from a nosebleed caused by the Genin's incredibly attractive posterior. It was due to the fact that he now lacked something vital; his head. Fear was the first to set in at the sight of their boss' head lying in the sand, glassy eyes gazing up in a frozen stare. The anger came next, and they threw themselves at the one who had slain their leader. Icy pools took in the reckless charge that was being made by the now leader-less bandits.

Mercy was the last thing on the boy's mind. They were a threat and therefore had to be eliminated. Tanto in hand, he engaged the bandits in and intricate dance. Metal bit into flesh, guided by the hand of a professional killer. Blood flew, trailing after the blond like scarlet sashes attached to a dancer's costume. Yells quickly morphed into screams of fear and desperate pleas. All were silenced in but a flash.

* * *

><p>Akane was woken by the screaming. Her brain struggled to register the sounds, laced with pain and terror. When they finally got through, her eyes flew open and, scrambling over to the door of the tent, threw the flaps open urgently.<p>

The screams had stopped and she feared the worst when she pushed open the tent flaps. She expected to see her bodyguards dead on the ground, their bodies mutilated while the bandits merely laughed. Dread filled her heart as she thought about the blond boy, Naruto, so full of childish innocence, carved up like steak.

The boy couldn't die, not when he had so much more to live for. She felt guilt. Guilt for sending out the request in the first place. Guilt that she had dragged the kids into this mess. She dashed out into the open, prepared for all those gruesome sights.

What met her gaze, however, was more horrible by far in her eyes. Bodies were strewn left and right. Not those of the ninjas, as she had expected, but those of the bandits. Only one hit was delivered to each, and each hit had killed. The innocent-looking boy stood in the background looking as pristine as he had when she had seen him go to sleep. The only evidence to the slaughter he had just carried out was the tanto in his grip, the steel grey of the blade sullied by the blood of the bandits.

She did the only thing she could. She laughed. It was a laugh devoid of humour and laced with bitterness.

'Perhaps I'm the naive one,' she reflected as laughter continued to spill forth from her lips.

**A/N: Um... There's a bit of one sided killing here... Um... I'm sorry if it's not very good, though... I'm not exactly very good at this... I guess I'm just really happy that there are people who read my story. Thank you for sticking with me. I can't express just how grateful. I can only hope it's okay and that you'll enjoy it. Sort of... Please don't hesitate to point out my mistakes, especially grammatical, spelling and inconsistencies in the plot. Thank you! :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: I have no excuses. *hangs head sadly* I'm so sorry. *bursts into tears* This is just a filler, so I understand if you'd rather not read it... Or... review or anything. Recently my friend told me my writing is too flowery so I guess I tried to tone it down? I guess... an upside to today is that my Sky got back from camp... And I had my lunch before 3pm... Whoever reviewed my previous chapter, thank you so much! *bows formally* **

**etErnal: Hi n00bs :3 OBS food is shit, I feel like i'm still on a tri-yak and my ass hurts.**

**EI: I kind of enjoyed it... :{( **

**etErnal: *inserts sarcastic, witty remark here* **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

_Chapter 25: A bandit and a brothel_

Sakura scrambled out of the tent, seconds after the client. Sasuke and Kakashi emerged soon after and they, too, bore witness to the results of the one-sided slaughter. She saw Akane's lips part and laughter pour from them, sending shivers down Sakura's spine from its hollow ring. She diverted her gaze, her eyes taking in 'Naruto' in what was growing to become a familiar scene. Her blond team mate stood amongst blood and corpses, undersized weapon drawn and keen. His eyes, as she had come to realise, were like metaphorical light bulbs. They were bright with a sparkling innocence that radiated from within and warmth that made them feel safe. Most of the time. When it came to reinforcing that feeling of safety that they felt in his presence, that warmth could be turned off completely. All that was left was a killing machine that had no qualms about liquidating the opposing force to keep his teammates safe. There was one thing that she couldn't get used to, though, and that was the bodies that he left behind.

'Naruto' ran a cloth over the blade, removing the scarlet second skin from the metal, before returning the tanto to its seal. The blond locked eyes with Akane, his eyes flooding with familiar warmth as he gave her a look brimming with understanding and kindness. During the few seconds that it took for the transition between killer to child, she finally noticed the maturity hidden beneath a thick veil of child-like obliviousness.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Kakashi apologised with an air of nonchalance while casually resting a hand on her shoulder. "Let's take down the tents and keep going."

The team complied. They worked in silence, collapsing the tents with practised efficiency to the rhythmic shuffling of the sand. Deft hands worked quickly to stow their temporary shelters in sealing scrolls before moving on to erase all evidence of the recent confrontation. They began the rest of the journey towards the village hidden in the sand, Akane trailing behind the group beside Kakashi. Her eyes remained fixed on the ground, searching the shifting sands for answers to questions she didn't know how to ask.

"I'm guessing you want to know about Naruto," superficial disinterest laced Kakashi's voice like a blade and sliced through her unresponsive state.

"Y-Yes... What happened to make him so... ruthless? It's not normal. Isn't Konoha enjoying peace time now?" she lapsed into silence as if contemplating situations that could have pushed the blond to this extent.

"I wouldn't say he's ruthless, because he's not," Kakashi rebutted with his usual drawl.

"He killed an entire group of bandits in cold blood. A child, killing. I suppose it's normal for you ninjas?" her voice fell flat and sarcastic.

"Naruto's... different," Kakashi shifted his exposed eye to observe his perplexing, blond student. "He's like you. A survivor."

Though he may have said it to assure Akane, Kakashi couldn't help but wonder if there might be something else that had contributed to the boy's creepy ability to deny himself emotions for a time besides having been chased on a daily basis and beaten in his earlier years. The boy's speed in itself was unnatural, but that could be attributed to the fact that he was Kiroii Senkou's son. If anything, it was to be expected. It was the cold efficiency of the kills that struck Kakashi as suspicious. The fatal cuts that had felled each bandit were clean and professional, befitting of at least a Jounin level ninja. Perhaps he could ask Iruka, the academy instructor. The man had been the one to teach 'Naruto' the basics of being a ninja. He might just have some semblance of what had allowed 'Naruto' to become the person that he was, and where he had learned such skills.

The ex-Anbu wondered if 'Naruto' was somehow linked to his old sensei. Perhaps 'Naruto' could provide with some information on Minato's current location and status.

'What if sensei's been training Naruto in secret? That would explain why Naruto was able to fight with skills that were beyond what he should be capable of,' Kakashi reasoned, nodding silently to himself at the deduction.

'Yeah, that must be it.'

* * *

><p>Akane paused in her walking, feeling the heat rising up from the sand as she tilted her head up to view the cloudless sky, an unbroken blue that was as endless as the desert seemed. She sighed, her exhalation sounding tiny compared to the restless swirling of the sands. The sound made her turn her head, still tilted slightly, to seek out the source. A dark, hulking figure shot across the expanse of grit and towards the group. An uneven mix of brown and yellow tumbled into sandy clouds, tossed free of their original places and into the air by a pair of inhuman hind legs.<p>

"What is that?" the exclamation left Akane's lips before her brain caught up with her mouth. In response, the Genin team whipped into place around their client, putting up a barrier between her and the fast approaching newcomer. The unidentified being stopped directly in front of the group, shrouded by a cloak of dust. When the fine particles were finally laid to rest, they revealed a run-of-the-mill bandit upon a mutated steed. The stallion sported a rich beige coat and four pairs of eyes running down its face in neat rows. From its chest area sprouted an additional pair of legs, well muscled and fully functional.

"Hand her over, and no one gets hurt," the rider proclaimed, jabbing an accusing finger in Akane's direction.

"I'm sorry, but we can't do that," Kakashi returned good-naturedly. "Nice horse, by the way."

The bandit snarled, hand moving towards the weapon belted to his side. His fingers twitched anxiously as they closed around the hilt. He couldn't fail. He wouldn't fail. After all, he had the Benefactor's blessings, even if said blessings came in a bottle. His current mount was a testament to how effective the cocktail was, and he had one now, stowed away in his pouch for his consumption.

The bandit dismounted, eyes peering warily at the group from a scarred, weather-beaten face. Gaze roaming over the ninja, he picked them apart and singled Sakura out as the weakest link. He cracked a smirk. That was all the warning the pink haired girl had before he charged at her, but it was enough. The man ran at her, brandishing the sword with all the grace of a dancing camel. Sakura ducked under a sloppy swing executed by the bandit, the blade whistling crudely over her head as she swept the bandit's feet out from under him. 'Nowhere near as skilled as Naruto,' the kunoichi realised as she kicked the sword from the attacker's grip. The weapon spun off and was lost to the shifting sands, which consumed the metallic instrument as if thirsty.

The horse, sensing the downfall of its master, faithfully attacked the girl, further displaying that it was no ordinary steed. Sasuke, ninja wire held expertly between both hands, managed to rope one of its legs. It pounded its hoofed feet against the sand uselessly, whinnying piteously as its frantic actions tangled its many legs further. Its body connected with the ground mere seconds later.

The bandit, realising that he had no chance against the four ninja, shuffled away, hands and feet pushing against the sand in an awkward attempt to escape.

"S-Stay back!" the man screamed, his voice warped into a high pitch from fear. His hands fumbled in his pocket for a glass vial. Fingers brushed the cool surface and he gripped the container, whipping it out and holding it out threateningly before the ninjas.

"Stay back or... or... I drink this!" he babbled, all sense abandoning him.

* * *

><p>Recognition sparked in Minato's eyes, 'That looks like the liquid Mizuki consumed.' His head buzzed in warning and he kicked the vial away, out of the bandit's trembling fingers. The man clutched his fingers, tears lining his lower eyelid from pain.<p>

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Sakura gripped her hair in irritation, pink clumps poking out from between her fingers.

"We have to assume that whatever's in the vial is dangerous," Minato turned his usually calm tone into a childish whine. This got him suspicious glances from Akane, her eyes sweeping his face for any deception.

"He's just bluffing. He's scared and trying to find a way out," Sasuke analysed, though he sounded unsure.

In the moments they spent debating the nature of the contents of the vial, the bandit had snatched it from the sand, grains slipping underneath his nails and flowing from his fingers. He wasted no time in knocking the cork out of its position and downing the contents. Curiosity took hold of Minato, but that did nothing to stop him from kicking the vial out of the bandit's hands a second time, ensuring that the man had only finished off half of the sinister looking liquid.

The bandit whined pitifully and clutched his hand, attempting to alleviate the pain from the bones Minato had broken.

"I'm sorry. I was told to do this. Please don't kill me," the man begged, his posture hunched and desperate as tears seared their way down his cheeks.

Minato unsealed his tanto again, causing his target to weep harder. Aside from the vast difference in skill, this was a perfect example of the lines separating ninja and bandits. Bandits and highwaymen pillaged, killed, committed various atrocities for self gratification. However much they killed, though, it didn't change the fact that ultimately, they knew nothing of death. The same death that ninja like Minato had stared in the face one too many times. When it came down to it, these criminals couldn't even retain their dignity at the prospect of dying, knowing that they had done their part for their village. After all, they were loyal to no one but themselves. Minato felt pity for this man. This man who had no one to fight for.

The bandit had fallen to the ground, face in the sand, a whining noise trembling in the back of his throat.

"Stop it right this instant!" Akane commanded of her child protector.

Minato turned around and gazed at her with kind blue eyes.

"She's right, Naruto. He's already surrendered. There's no reason to kill him. He even apologised," said Sakura, sympathy bleeding through.

"He _has_ surrendered. Besides, I think he's been through enough humiliation," Kakashi shot his student an eye smile, a mild mix of worry and amusement in his tone that only his former sensei could catch. The boy was taking this mission too seriously.

Minato stared calmly down at the man writhing at his feet and sighed.

"Hai, sensei."

The blond was positioning the blade at his hip when the bandit lunged at him, eyes flashing and spittle hanging in clear threads from the sides of his mouth.

"You're dead, brat," he growled, voice scratchy and animalistic.

Almost immediately, the ninjas were on guard and had thrown themselves between Akane and the bandit, weapons bristling.

The bandit's focus remained locked on to Minato, as if Akane, his original objective, no longer mattered. His eyes held a feral quality that Minato recognised as the one that had clouded Mizuki's on the night of the graduation exam. Fur had begun to sprout along the bandit's arms and back, muscles becoming denser and ripping through the desert wear he had on. His mouth and nose warped into a vague muzzle, the rest of his facial features reconstructing excruciatingly after. Though he should have been howling and rolling on the ground in pain as the changes occurred, he merely stared into Minato's eyes like a cornered animal. Chest heaving and breath fogging, the changes were completed.

"Too bad," the man laughed, though it sounded reminiscent of airy barking. "I drank enough to make it work."

"I'll handle this," Kakashi announced, his tone almost bored.

"Stay out of this, old man. I want the brat's blood. I want it to paint the ground a nice, pretty red as I spit on his corpse!"

"Now, now. I'm sure Naruto didn't do anything that could have warranted something so harsh."

"He humiliated me!" the man roared, clutching his pride close to his heart. "He tried to kill me. Well, guess what? He's the one who's going to die."

A long, drawn out roar ripped from the man's throat, completely contrary to his previous whimpering and sniffling. The sudden surge of power had gotten to his head, it seemed.

"Well, I can't have that happening. He is my cute little student after all," Kakashi smiled at the man without a care in the world.

The bandit, not being treated like the threat he thought he was, attempted to pounce on Kakashi and rip him to shreds then and there. He landed on all fours on the soft sand, Kakashi having disappeared under his nose.

The transformed man attempted the same feat a few more times but to no avail. Kakashi was always a step or two out of his reach.

"Stop moving so I can rip out your intestines and feast on your heart!"

"I rather like my innards where they are, thanks."

The crazed gleam in the man's eyes transcended to a whole new level, transforming further to match his anger. Glancing around with feral, slit eyes, he charged at Sakura, their weakest link.

The pink haired kunoichi's eyes widened slightly in shock, but quickly recovered and drew her fist back, gathering chakra in the appendage. When the bandit approached, she struck the man's chest, releasing the chakra on impact. Blue chakra ribboned outward from the point of impact, excess from the attack. The force lifted the man off his feet and sent him hurtling a good few feet away. He landed on all fours, salivating and heaving in anger, his eyes betraying his degraded mental state.

The three male ninja had the bandit surrounded before even a single muscle in his body could twitch. Sakura hung back to protect Akane and was, as usual, acting as their last line of defence.

"You're fighting a losing battle here," Kakashi drawled.

The bandit didn't respond. His madness had carried him past the point of verbal communication. The skin of his muzzle pulled back as he bared his teeth, crusted near the gums and curving into a vicious, tapered point. He pounced again and received a swift kick to the face courtesy of Sasuke. The Uchiha ran through a few hand seals and blew forcefully. A fireball erupted from his lips and set the man on fire. His fur crackled and curled in the heat as the flames devoured him hungrily, but all he could do was keen piteously, human words having long since left his tongue. Common sense also seemed to have left him as he ran haphazardly, thrashing about and fanning the flames instead of rolling in the sand to quench it.

"H-E-L-p... m-e...," the man forced past his charred lips.

"Help him..." Akane whispered. No one moved.

"Help him!" she repeated with more force and clarity.

Minato shot her a gaze that made her feel like a petulant child. She backed down, eyes still pinned on the boy as he formed a few hand seals and doused the fire with a small jet of water.

Burnt strands of fur lay in clumps on the floor and were as numerous as the second degree burns plaguing the bandit's body as he lay with his face against the scorched sand, in too much pain to move.

"Who sent you?" Sasuke questioned, picking him up by the scruff of his neck where the burns were less severe.

"O-o..." the man fell silent. His mouth opened and closed, his eyes bulging in panic, but no sound escaped save for the click of teeth against teeth.

Clutching his throat, his body tensed and strained to produce a scream, but nothing rose to leave. His eyes turned on Akane, the only one who had shown him any kindness, eyes roiling with crippling fear at the loss of his voice.

"Let's take him with us," the lady said firmly. She wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Kakashi shrugged and threw the man over his shoulder, eliciting a silent grunt of pain from the bandit, who found himself flung like a sack of potatoes.

"Let's go," the Jounin began walking in the direction of Suna, fully expecting the others to follow. Follow they did, but they travelled in sombre silence until they reached the entrance to the village hidden in the sand. The guards gave them no trouble and they were allowed into the village with little fuss.

"You guys follow Akane to the brothel. I'll get this guy to the hospital," instructed Kakashi, patting the bandit's bottom for emphasis.

"Hai, sensei," the Genin confirmed their future actions in unison.

* * *

><p>They parted ways, Kakashi walking off towards the medical facility, whistling a happy tune, the Genin and Akane making their way towards the brothel. They were met with wary glances by the locals as they walked through the drab beige village that was parched and inhospitable. They finally stopped outside a flashy building in the red light district, its borders adorned with neon signs and pink paraphernalia. A few ladies in scandalously revealing clothes paraded around outside, promoting the brothel. Akane gazed at it with conflicting emotions, nostalgia and resentment fighting for dominance in her heart. Finally, she made to step inside but was stopped by Sasuke.<p>

"We can't leave her alone. One of us has to go in with her," Sasuke gazed pointedly at the dark haired lady.

"I'll be fine."

"The mission isn't over yet. We're still obligated to protect you."

"Kids like you shouldn't see what goes on inside there."

"We're ninja. We've seen worse."

Akane stared into the Uchiha's defiant, obsidian eyes and knew that he had seen things no child should have to bear witness to. She was reminded, painfully, of 'Naruto', her mind projecting the same scene for her to see run through Sasuke's determined orbs. Her resolve faltered at the memory.

"Alright. But it has to be a girl. Little boys would just raise suspicion. We only have female entertainers after all."

Sasuke and Naruto both lay their gazes on Sakura at the same time, their eyes pressuring her into taking up the duty of following Akane into the whore house.

"No! I am _not_ going in!" a deep red flush touched the girls face and she violently protested the idea.

"But you're the only girl we have, Sakura," Sasuke tried to reason with her.

"NO!" she screeched, laying her foot down with enough force to crack the pavement.

"Sakura-"

"I'll go," 'Naruto' volunteered.

"Don't be ridiculous, Naruto. You're male," Sasuke covered his face with his palm.

"Sasuke, we could probably pass off as a girl with Genjutsu or Henge, since none of them are ninja. However, the bandits that came after us seemed to be receiving the aid of a ninja, so that's out of the question. Since Sakura doesn't want to go, we shouldn't force her. Besides, I'm the most feminine-looking out of the both of us. It'd be easy for me to play the part of a girl," Minato reasoned with a calming smile on his face.

"Are you sure you can do it?" asked Akane, momentarily fooled by the boy's kind smile and soft voice. She caught herself and shook off the illusion. "Alright."

"Sasuke, you and Sakura stand guard at the entrance and wait for Kakashi-sensei," Minato instructed. His two team mates nodded in confirmation and watched as Akane lead him in through a back door.

"Maybe I should have gone instead," Sakura mused, laden with mild guilt.

"It was his choice. Besides, it's Naruto. Trying to get him to do inappropriate things is like trying to get a wall to talk, and he's a better fighter than you are. I'm sure he'll be fine," Sasuke tried to provide Sakura with reassurance.

The two stood outside in the warm desert afternoon, surrounded by unsavoury things. Kakashi joined back up with them outside the brothel's doors.

"Sasuke, Sakura, where's Naruto?"

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura called back. "He went in to protect Akane."

"Lucky thing," Kakashi muttered into his mask. This earned him two raised eyebrows.

"I mean, that's good of him. But may I ask why he went in instead of Sakura. He seems too young to be a customer."

"I didn't want to, so he volunteered."

"I see..." Kakashi stood with them outside, waiting.

* * *

><p>Akane sat Minato down in a dressing room, forcing him into a frilly, layered dress that looked as if it were meant to satisfy some sort of fetish. He went barefoot, refusing to squeeze his feet into the kitten heels that went with the outfit. His feet may be calloused and tough from extended periods of running, fighting and training, but those things were torture. She caked make up onto his face and slapped a blond wig on his head that itched fiercely. Sealing his clothes into a scroll, he slipped it into his weapons pouch and had a small argument with Akane over whether he should be allowed to keep his weapons pouch strapped to his thigh. He managed to wear Akane down with the fact that he would need weapons to protect her and that no one would see it underneath the copious amount of lace, happily feeling the comfort of having his kunai and shuriken within reach.<p>

"Ready?" Akane stood beside Minato before the entrance to the business area of the brothel.

"I suppose," the blond exuded confidence as he grasped a toy rabbit in one hand. They had been going for the lolita look, and he dared say it worked, much to his eternal embarrassment and shame.

'Kushina would kill me if she ever found out. Then she'd summon me back with Edo Tensei and kill me over and over until she's satisfied,' Minato shuddered.

He touched his legs self consciously, where two pairs of unusually long ribbons twined upwards. They had settled on a pair of laced ballet shoes after Minato broke a pair of heels by accident.

"Let's go," the lady flung open the doors and strode in, the boy trotting at her side.

**A/N: So... yeah... Um... If you've made it this far to such a disappointing chapter. Please forgive me... :'( Just leave a comment about etErnal's awesomeness and... maybe point out any mistakes or inconsistencies? Anything would be fine, really... I guess... *depressed***

**etErnal: YOU'RE RIPPING OFF FFVII!**

**EI: ... OMG really?! Oh... oh... I didn't notice. *cries even harder* **

**etErnal:*tosses mushroom at huddled up EI in the corner* **

**EI: I'm so sorry... :(**

**EI: Thank you, 'Guest' for pointing out my mistake. I just sat there for a minute thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm an idiot'. For about a minute. I made the change already. Thank you... And... I'm sorry...**


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